MENDOCINO Co., 10/26/23 — Search and rescue personnel recovered human skeletal remains scattered across a rural property east of Covelo Tuesday, Oct. 24, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MSCO).
Deputies say a hunter initially found the remains alongside out-of-state identification Saturday evening but a search of the area was delayed by an incoming rainstorm. The scene is reportedly in the vicinity of Bauer Ranch Road and Mendocino Pass Road on land owned by the hunter who found it.
MCSO is working with the Anthropology Department at the California State University in Chico to identify the remains and discern how the individual may have died. Anyone with information that might assist in their investigation is being asked to call the sheriff’s tip line at 707-234-2100.
Interested readers can find the full press release below:
DATE: “October 24, 2023”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Incident Number:
2023-22970
Crime/Incident:
Coroner’s Investigation – Found Human Remains
Location:
45000 block of Bauer Ranch Road in Covelo, CA
Date of Incident:
10-21-2023
Time:
6:00 PM
Victim(s):
N/A
Suspect(s):
N/A
Written By:
Captain Gregory L. Van Patten #1184
Synopsis:
On 10-21-2023 at approximately 6:00 PM, a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to contact a person who had located potential human skeletal remains in Covelo, California.
Upon contact the Deputy learned the person had been hunting on his property located in the 45000 block of Bauer Ranch Road in the vicinity of Mendocino Pass Road. While hunting the property, the person discovered the presence of several suspected human bones scattered on a rural portion of the property.
The person also found out of state photo identifications belonging to an adult male, which was in the general area of the bones.
Due to darkness and an impending rainstorm, it was decided a search of the property would be delayed for the safety of Sheriff’s Office searchers.
On 10-24-2023 at 10:22 AM Deputies and members of the Mendocino County Search and Rescue Team conducted search efforts for the bones. This resulted in the discovery/recovery of several human skeletal remains.
Investigations into the identity of the human skeletal remains are ongoing at this time and investigators have requested the assistance of the Anthropology Department at California State University, Chico in an effort to determine a cause and classification of death.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators in this Coroner’s Investigation are urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tipline by calling 707-234-2100 or the WeTip Anonymous Crime Reporting Hotline by calling 800-782-7463.
Approved by:
Captain Gregory L. Van Patten #1184