Adam Ashley was 14 when his body was found on May 17, 1979, on the shore of Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego. A bicyclist discovered him just above the surf about half a mile south of Carmel Valley Road; his foster father, Gene Requa, had reported him missing the day before after Adam was last seen heading to the beach for a swim.

The autopsy determined blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death, and the case was ruled a homicide. Adam was living in foster care at the time; his twin brother Marc and older sister Terri survived him. Investigators have described a shortage of useful DNA evidence, and despite efforts by family and the San Diego Police Department Cold Case Unit, the murder remained unsolved as of this writing.

Anyone who was at Torrey Pines State Beach on or around May 16–17, 1979, or who has information about Adam’s movements that weekend is asked to contact investigators; even small details could help bring the family closure.