Danielle Bertolini

A woman hoping to start a new life vanishes
Danielle Nicole Bertolini, also known as Danielle Nicole Brooks, was a 23-year-old White woman living in Fortuna, California, when she mysteriously disappeared around February 9, 2014. Originally from Oregon, Danielle had spent much of her childhood in Maine, where she attended school in the Newport area. Friends and relatives remembered her as outgoing, spirited, compassionate, and someone who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors. Her life had been marked by considerable hardship, including the devastating loss of her infant son, Xavier, in 2010. Hoping to make a fresh start, Danielle moved to Northern California, where she had family connections. Unfortunately, her search for a better life would eventually lead to a disappearance that left her loved ones searching for answers for more than a decade.

While living in Humboldt County, Danielle became involved with individuals connected to the region's marijuana-growing industry and reportedly struggled with substance abuse. Her mother, Billie-Jo Dick, later explained that Danielle had become unhappy with her circumstances and wanted to leave California. During their last known conversation on January 29, 2014, Danielle reportedly told her mother that she was ready to return home and wanted to speak with law enforcement about things she had witnessed. Although the precise nature of those concerns has not been publicly established, her family believed she was attempting to distance herself from people and circumstances that had placed her in danger.

Around February 9, 2014, Danielle was reportedly seen in the Swains Flat area near Bridgeville and Carlotta, along Highway 36 in Humboldt County. Investigators later determined that she had arranged transportation back to Fortuna, where she had been staying with an acquaintance. According to accounts of the investigation, Danielle initially contacted the person she was staying with and requested a ride, but another individual was sent to pick her up. That individual was James Eugene Jones, a Fortuna-area resident who subsequently became an important person of interest in the investigation. Police established that Jones had given Danielle a ride from Swains Flat toward Fortuna. Despite extensive interviews with friends and acquaintances, investigators could not identify anyone who had seen or spoken with Danielle after that encounter.

Danielle's sudden silence alarmed her family. She had maintained frequent contact with her mother and younger sister, Mariah, making her unexplained disappearance particularly troubling. On February 19, 2014, her family reported her missing to the Fortuna Police Department. The initial investigation was complicated by uncertainty about whether she had voluntarily left the area, although police described her as an at-risk missing person in their original public announcement. Her mother refused to accept that Danielle would simply disappear without contacting the people closest to her. Billie-Jo traveled to California and joined relatives, volunteers, and community members in searching for her daughter. The family distributed missing-person flyers, publicized the disappearance through news outlets, and offered a $5,000 reward for information that could help bring Danielle home.

As the search continued, investigators began examining a possible connection between Danielle's disappearance and that of another Humboldt County woman, Sheila Franks. Sheila had vanished in early February 2014, shortly before Danielle disappeared. The women had similar physical appearances, moved within overlapping social circles, and were believed to have last been seen with the same man. Sheila had reportedly been romantically involved with James Eugene Jones before she disappeared. In March 2015, Fortuna Police Chief William Dobberstein publicly acknowledged that investigators believed the two cases could be connected and had identified the same person of interest in both investigations. At that time, authorities declined to publicly identify the individual.

The investigation took a tragic turn on March 9, 2015, when a person riding an all-terrain vehicle discovered a human skull along the Eel River in the Blue Slide area north of Rio Dell, near Howe Creek. The remains were recovered and submitted for forensic examination. Initial attempts to identify the skull through dental comparisons were unsuccessful, partly because portions of the jaw and several teeth were missing. Danielle's mother nevertheless suspected that the remains belonged to her daughter. Additional forensic testing was conducted, and DNA analysis performed through the California Department of Justice ultimately confirmed the identification.

On May 27, 2015, Danielle's family received the heartbreaking confirmation that the skull belonged to her. The discovery ended the uncertainty over whether she was still alive, but it did not explain what had happened after her disappearance. Her exact date of death remains unknown, and February 9, 2014, represents her approximate last-known-seen date rather than a medically established date of death. Authorities have not publicly established precisely how or where she died. Her death has been investigated under suspicious circumstances, and her family believes she was murdered, but the limited remains recovered have complicated efforts to determine the cause and manner of death.

During July 2015, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office organized an extensive search of the Eel River area in hopes of locating additional remains or evidence. The operation involved approximately 19 personnel, including sheriff's deputies, firefighters, search-and-rescue volunteers, and personnel from other agencies. Six cadaver dogs assisted search teams examining approximately two miles of riverbank and surrounding terrain. Investigators searched on foot and from boats, spending many hours combing the area where Danielle's skull had been recovered. Despite the considerable effort, no additional remains were discovered. Without further physical evidence, investigators faced significant obstacles in determining the circumstances surrounding her death.

The suspected connection between Danielle and Sheila Franks continued to receive attention. In June 2019, skeletal remains were discovered near Crab Park in Loleta, California. Subsequent DNA testing identified those remains as belonging to Sheila. The identification confirmed that both women had died, intensifying questions about their disappearances and their apparent connection to the same individual. Investigators continued examining whether the cases were connected, but the recovery of partial remains did not provide sufficient publicly disclosed evidence to establish who was responsible for either death.

James Eugene Jones remained a central figure in public discussions of the investigations because he was reportedly the last known person to have contact with both women before they disappeared. In interviews with reporters, Danielle's mother expressed her belief that Jones knew more about what had happened than had been revealed. Detective Brian Taylor of the Fortuna Police Department acknowledged that investigators had identified a person of interest and possessed some evidence, but emphasized the difficulty of establishing exactly what had happened and obtaining sufficient evidence to support criminal charges. Jones has not been convicted of, or publicly charged with, causing Danielle's death, and his identification as a person of interest does not establish criminal responsibility.

Jones has, however, faced arrests and criminal proceedings in unrelated matters. In 2020, he was arrested in connection with a vehicle-related incident in Mendocino County. He subsequently pleaded guilty to felony offenses that included reckless driving while evading law enforcement and vehicle theft. In February 2021, he received a prison sentence of four years and eight months, with credit for time already served. He was released in September 2022. Those convictions were unrelated to Danielle's disappearance or death.

On March 3, 2024, Jones was arrested again, this time by Humboldt County sheriff's deputies following reports involving a business owner in Scotia, California. Authorities alleged that Jones repeatedly appeared near the woman's business and residence despite earlier police contacts. He was initially booked on suspicion of felony stalking, misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine, and misdemeanor possession of a switchblade knife. Subsequent reporting indicated that the felony stalking charge was dropped following his arraignment, leaving the two misdemeanor charges at that stage of the proceedings. Although the arrest renewed public attention to his connection with Danielle and Sheila's investigations, it was unrelated to either woman's death and did not result in homicide charges.

Throughout the years, Danielle's family continued advocating for renewed investigative attention. Her mother, sister, and other relatives returned to Humboldt County, participated in interviews, and worked with supporters to keep the case in the public eye. In June 2023, family members met with Detective Brian Taylor to discuss the investigation and encourage additional witnesses to come forward. Taylor explained that detectives were continuing to pursue information but still lacked the definitive evidence necessary to establish where and how Danielle died. He expressed hope that someone who had witnessed suspicious activity or heard information about the disappearance might finally provide the missing piece of evidence.

A significant development occurred on February 21, 2025, when the Fortuna Police Department announced that newly received information had prompted detectives to renew their investigation into Danielle's disappearance and death. In its public statement, the department specifically identified James Eugene Jones as the person who had transported Danielle from Swains Flat back to Fortuna before she vanished. Investigators explained that extensive interviews had failed to identify anyone who encountered Danielle afterward. The department acknowledged that the investigation had previously become a cold case after available leads were exhausted, but emphasized that the case had never been permanently closed. Detectives Brian Taylor and Thomas MacLeod were assigned to pursue the newly developed information. Authorities did not publicly disclose the precise nature of the new leads or announce any resulting homicide charges.

The renewed investigation offered Danielle's family another opportunity to obtain answers after years of uncertainty and frustration. Although her remains had been identified, important questions remained unanswered, including what occurred during or after her final known ride, whether another individual was involved, where she died, and how her remains came to rest along the Eel River. Publicly available information has not established any arrest, murder charge, criminal trial, or conviction directly connected to Danielle's death.

Danielle Bertolini's case remains an unresolved and deeply troubling death investigation. Her disappearance, the discovery of her remains more than a year later, and the possible connection to Sheila Franks have made the two cases enduring mysteries in Humboldt County. For her mother, Billie-Jo Dick, and the rest of her family, the years have brought grief, unanswered questions, and an unwavering commitment to learning the truth. Anyone possessing information concerning Danielle's disappearance, her final known movements, or the circumstances of her death is encouraged to contact the Fortuna Police Department at 707-725-7550. Even after more than a decade, investigators and Danielle's loved ones continue to hope that someone with firsthand knowledge will come forward and help establish what happened to her.