It started with a drop of what looked like pure water in the bottom of a centrifugal clear tube with blue ink written on it.

That scant liquid contained precious DNA retrieved from a pink blouse worn by a woman who was stabbed to death, her body found in an almond orchard near Delano on July 14, 1980 — also known as Kern County Sheriff’s Office Jane Doe No. 5. The woman, neat, clean and wearing white Keds-style tennis shoes, looked like a person a family member would miss, recalled Kern County Coroner’s Division Chief Dawn Ratliff in a video posted online by KCSO about this case.

You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.