Bodies Being Found In IE Desert Areas. Who Are The Victims?

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Riverside and San Bernardino county sheriff's officials are continuing to investigate recent discoveries of apparent separate sets of human remains in local desert areas.

In total, at least four discoveries have been made since the start of the year, and investigators are working to determine who the deceased are and how they died.

The most recent announcement came on Wednesday, Feb. 11, when the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reported that human remains, including a skull, were found two days earlier in the area of Fossil Bed and Irwin roads in Barstow.

Sheriff's detectives and the coroner's office conducted a search in the area and collected many bones and fragments belonging to the decedent, the sheriff's department reported.

An autopsy and DNA testing were being conducted to determine the cause of death and identity of the deceased. It's unclear whether foul play is suspected. Further information about the case was not released.

The discovery came as investigators were attempting to identify human remains found late last month in Victorville.

A single human bone was found Monday, Jan. 26, by a person walking his dog near Abbey Lane and Stoddard Wells Road in the high desert city, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The bone was delivered to the coroner's office, which confirmed on Wednesday, Jan. 28, that it was human.

Two days later, deputies returned to the area where the bone was found and conducted an extensive search. Several additional bones and bone fragments were recovered, though some were thought to be animal, according to the sheriff's department.

Homicide investigators were awaiting DNA results on the human bone.

Investigators are combing through missing persons cases following the separate discoveries. There was no indication that the two cases were related.

Earlier last month, another body was found in the high desert. The remains of a 38-year-old woman were found Sunday, Jan. 11, in a shallow grave in a desert field located east of U.S. Highway 395 and north of Buckthorne Canyon Road, in the unincorporated area north of Helendale, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The body was discovered by a motorist who was heading east on Buckthorne Canyon Road. The driver saw what initially appeared to be a mannequin, but, upon closer inspection, it was determined to be a deceased human.

The death was determined to be a homicide by the sheriff's department, but the agency did not reveal when the victim might have been killed or how, and there was no word of any arrests. Her identity has not been released.

"This is an ongoing investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available," the sheriff's department reported.

Anyone with information regarding the above incidents is urged to contact the Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to wetip.com.

In Riverside County, remains have been found in the Coachella Valley.

Just before 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, a Caltrans maintenance crew was conducting a routine inspection of drainage culverts on Date Palm Drive at the Interstate 10 overpass in Cathedral City when they found human remains.

The victim was in possession of a debit card, which provided "a possible identification," which was being reviewed.

Due to the condition of the remains, a cause of death was not immediately available.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact the Riverside County Sheriff's Department detective bureau at 760-770-0300 or report tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 760-341-7867.