A woman's body is found in Summit Valley; dead from sharp-force injuries Colette Rowles, a 50-year-old resident of Hesperia, California, was reported missing on January 3, 1997. She was last seen with her boyfriend, Barry Bryant, and two other friends after they left a local bar. According to Bryant, the two had an argument later that night, after which Colette allegedly walked away into the darkness and disappeared. Almost a month later, on January 31, 1997, her body was discovered in a remote field in Summit Valley near Oak Hills, California.
An autopsy revealed that she had died from sharp force injuries, but despite initial investigations, the case went cold by the end of 1998.
In 2017, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Cold Case Team reopened the case and eventually arrested Barry Bryant for her murder. He was charged based on DNA evidence, but the charges were dropped when further analysis revealed the DNA was inconclusive. Although Bryant was released, investigators continue to pursue new leads in hopes of solving the over two-decade-old mystery. Authorities are still seeking additional information to bring closure to this case.
For further details, you can review the case with local law enforcement or access more information from cold case databases.
