In 2016, a shocking discovery was made beneath a San Francisco home during a remodeling project: a small, sealed coffin containing the remarkably well-preserved body of a young girl. Encased in a 3.5-foot metal and glass coffin, she appeared to have been buried with care, her hair still in place, and a layer of lavender flowers over her body. This mysterious find ignited a city-wide investigation and raised questions about her identity and how she came to rest beneath a modern-day home.

Researchers named her “Miranda Eve” during the initial phases of the investigation, though little was known about her. With the help of DNA analysis and historical records, experts were able to piece together her story. She was eventually identified as Edith Howard Cook, a 2-year-old girl who died on October 13, 1876. Born to a prominent San Francisco family, her life was tragically cut short, likely due to a childhood illness.

Edith’s resting place was initially part of the Odd Fellows Cemetery, established in the late 19th century. However, during the early 1900s, San Francisco underwent a citywide removal of cemeteries due to space concerns, and the graves were moved to Colma, a nearby city.

Unfortunately, Edith’s coffin was left behind, buried beneath what would eventually become a residential neighborhood.

Once her identity was confirmed, Edith was finally reinterred in Colma, where her family’s remains were moved more than a century earlier. This story sheds light on San Francisco’s evolving landscape and the surprising remnants of the past that still lie beneath the city.