John Semler Owens, 46, was found dead on a gravel service road beside the Union Pacific Railroad near PFE Road in Roseville, California, on January 21, 2000. He had suffered fatal blunt force trauma to the head. Owens was described as a transient freight train rider, a lifestyle that brought him into contact with other drifters and rail corridors.

Early in the investigation authorities identified a man who gave his name as Michael A. Thomas but were unable to locate him. Detectives later submitted DNA from the scene to the national database in 2004, but no matches were returned at that time. The case remained unsolved for years despite those efforts.

The murder highlights difficulties investigating crimes involving transient communities and rail corridors, where witnesses and suspects often move across jurisdictions. Does anyone who rode the rails in the Roseville area around 2000 remember seeing Owens or have information that could help clarify what happened?