Remains of missing 21-year-old Ventura County woman found in riverbed

Human remains identified as missing Ventura County woman

Zyanya Valora's remains were found in the Ventura Riverbed last week.

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - Human remains found in the Ventura Riverbed have been identified as those of Zyanya Valora, who had been missing since June 2024.

What we know:

On September 24, a local conservancy group was clearing invasive plants in the Ventura Riverbed, just south of the Baldwin Road Bridge, when they found what appeared to be human skeletal remains. 

Deputies from the Ojai Patrol Station, Ojai Station Detectives, and Major Crimes Bureau responded to the scene. 

The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the remains were human, but due to their condition, an immediate identification was not possible.

Two days later on September 26, the medical examiner's office confirmed the identity of the remains as Zyanya Valora.

Valora was last seen by relatives the evening of June 24, 2024, at her family’s home in Mira Monte, an unincorporated community in Ojai, according to the sheriff’s office. She was 21 when she disappeared. Her family suspected it was an abduction.

What's next:

The medical examiner is working to determine the cause and manner of death. No obvious signs of trauma were found.