MENDOCINO CO., 7/14/26 — The search for a hunter gone missing four years ago continues after bones that were found Saturday near the Eel River Valley were determined to be non-human, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
John Davis was reported missing by his son in October 2021 after the two went on a hunting trip in Covelo and an overnight storm flooded their tent near State Route 162, the Sheriff’s Office said. Davis’ son made it back to their truck, but his father never did.
Ten searches were conducted over the course of eight months after Davis went missing but did not yield any evidence or investigative leads, authorities said.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a bone was found about two miles from Dos Rios Bridge in February, which Chico State University Forensic Anthropology Department confirmed to be human.
Another search was conducted in February which turned up personal property items that were later identified by Davis’ family members as possibly having belonged to him and may have been in his possession in 2021, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
In June, DNA testing confirmed the bone found in February was a positive familial match for Davis’ parents.
On Saturday, an operation including more than 70 search and rescue volunteers and mutual-aid resources from other counties was conducted from the last known location of Davis near the Eel River Bridge on State Route 162 to the Dos Rios Bridge on the same route.Â
According to the Sheriff’s Office, numerous bones were found during the search but were determined to be non-human. The bones are being sent to Chico State University for additional analysis and formal determination as to where they came from.
Anyone with information about the investigation was asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086.