Decomposing body found in trunk Oct. 3 marks three Covelo homicides reported in a month

COVELO, 10/18/21 — Two weeks ago a California Department of Fish and Wildlife warden found the remains of a man decomposing in the trunk of a sedan parked along Mendocino Pass Road, east of Covelo. Capt. Greg Van Patten, of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), said in an email Friday the victim has been identified and is not thought to be a local resident, but his name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin who are outside the United States. The sheriff’s office has not publicly identified a suspect yet, but Van Patten confirmed that deputies served a warrant Wednesday on Henderson Lane, finding what they allege to be a crime scene and securing it overnight to continue their search into Thursday. 

“There were items of potential evidentiary significance located during the search warrant service which will require laboratory examination to determine if it is useful to the investigation,” Van Patten wrote.