BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Fifteen years after beloved bakery owner Juanita Francisco was found murdered in her Rexland Acres shop just two days before Thanksgiving, the Kern County Sheriff\u2019s Office is turning to new forensic technology in hopes of finally identifying her killer.<\/p>\n
Francisco, owner of Juanita\u2019s Bakery, was discovered dead inside the business in November 2010 while working alone. The killing shocked the neighborhood, where she was known as a hardworking mother and a friendly face in the small panader\u00eda she ran for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur department has never stopped working to solve this, and we\u2019re asking for the community\u2019s help in generating new leads,\u201d the Sheriff\u2019s Office said in a new video highlighting the details of the case<\/p>\n
Detective Ashley Sanchez, who is helping lead the renewed investigation, said Francisco did not fit the profile of typical homicide victims seen in similar cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was normal. She was somebody\u2019s mother,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cShe should have been safe there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Francisco\u2019s children say they are still living with the impact of her death. Her son, Greg, described her as a devoted parent who put her family before anything else.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe always put her kids first,\u201d he said. \u201cShe was loving, caring, nurturing.\u201d<\/p>\n
While reviewing cold case files, investigators identified evidence that can now be retested using modern DNA analysis. The department has sent material to Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy lab that works with agencies across the country to analyze degraded or limited DNA samples.<\/p>\n
\u201cOthram has been successful in identifying suspects,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping this process brings us closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sheriff\u2019s officials say they are using every available tool to move the case forward and believe the new testing could produce a significant break.<\/p>\n
The department is asking anyone with information about Juanita Francisco\u2019s death to call 661-861-3110.<\/p>\n
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