DFG News Archive

Human DNA Found on Suspect Mountain Lion Matches Both Attack Victims

Human DNA taken from the mountain lion suspected in the Jan. 8 attacks on two Orange County bicyclists matches both victims, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and Orange County Sheriff's Office announced today.

"Test results have confirmed what we suspected," said DFG South Coast Region Assistant Chief Steve Edinger. "We can now say with 100 percent certainty that there was only one mountain lion responsible for both attacks. We are grateful to the Orange County Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory for their expertise and cooperation in bringing this investigation to a close."

Pathologists with the DFG's Wildlife Forensic Laboratory collected human blood and tissue from the suspect mountain lion, and sent it to the Orange County Crime Laboratory for DNA testing. The DNA extracted from the mountain lion's claws matches the DNA of 30-year old Anne Hjelle, who was attacked while riding her bicycle along a trail in the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. DNA extracted from the stomach contents of the mountain lion was matched to Mark Reynolds, 35, whose body was found shortly after the attack on Hjelle.

At the same time, DFG Wildlife Forensic Specialists Jim Banks, Ken Levine and Dr. Jeff Rodzen matched DNA from mountain lion hair found on Hjelle's clothing to the suspect mountain lion. DNA testing of mountain lion hair from Reynold 's clothing was inconclusive.

"Although we've answered the question of whether the suspect mountain lion was, in fact, the sole animal involved in the attacks, we can't answer the most pressing question," said Edinger. "People want to know why it happened, and the fact is, we will probably never know."