Victim Identified in 2009 Irvine Murder

After nearly 15 years, police have identified the victim of a brutal 2009 murder in Irvine, California, as 14-year-old Marcia Shirree Thomas, who was reported missing from Reno, Nevada. Using advanced DNA technology, investigators were able to link her identity to the case, which involved her being kidnapped, assaulted, and subsequently murdered by brothers Zenaido and Gabino Valdivia-Guzman. Zenaido was convicted of first-degree murder in November 2022, while Gabino's trial is pending. On the night of her murder, the brothers lured Thomas into their van, where she was beaten and ultimately strangled before they set her body on fire in a business parking lot. The Irvine Police Department expressed hope that this identification brings closure to Thomas's family. Ongoing investigations continue to seek information related to the case.