Human Torso Found on Rocks Near Bay Bridge

Police say a decomposed human torso discovered near the Bay Bridge in West Oakland Wednesday afternoon may have lost its appendages due to marine activity associated with spending a month or more in the water of the San Francisco Bay.

The discovery was reported just before noon off of Burma Road near the foot of the eastern span of the bridge, Oakland police spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson said.

Personnel from the coroner's bureau determined that the torso had belonged to a young man, according to Watson.

It had been in the water for roughly a month, or longer, before coming to rest on rocks above the water line for an estimated two to three days.

The remains showed signs of decomposition, Watson said. Despite losing both arms, both legs and the head, Watson said that coroner's bureau personnel found no signs of trauma on the torso.

There are indications that the limbs may have been lost due to interactions with marine wildlife or contact with large rocks in the bay, according to Watson, who said the condition of the remains could possibly be explained by the length of time in the water.

"The more time a body's in the water the more it's apt to be exposed to all the different elements," Watson said.

Part of one femur was protruding from the torso, but the lower portion of the bone was gone.

So far the coroner has been unable to determine the decedent's ethnicity, but investigators will attempt to identify the remains using DNA. Watson said the investigation is ongoing.

--Bay City News

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