NEED TO KNOW

Hikers discovered partial skeletal remains near mile marker 43.50 on Highway 33 in Ojai, Calif., in February 1981, said the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. At the time, the cause of death could not be determined

In August of this year, authorities partnered with Redgrave Research Forensic Services for the John Doe case

A comparison between a relative's DNA with that of the remains revealed the victim to be Thomas Cooney, a Vietnam War veteran and Bronze Star recipient

Partial skeletal remains discovered more than 40 years ago in Southern California have now been identified through DNA technology as belonging to a missing Vietnam War veteran and Bronze Star recipient, authorities confirmed this week.

The victim was Thomas Aquinas Cooney, who was born on Oct. 5, 1950, in B

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