Body Found At Construction Site ID'd As Missing NorCal Woman

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — A body found at a construction site near Carmel-by-the-Sea in late August has been identified through DNA as Remie Casillas of Santa Cruz, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

Casillas' death has been deemed suspicious, and her cause of death remains under investigation, sheriff's officials said.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office issued a missing-person bulletin in May for Casillas, who was 51 years old at the time and also went by the name "Cousey."

"She was last contacted by law enforcement in February of 2015 in Sand City," the Santa Cruz agency said.

Shortly before 11 a.m. on Aug. 26, a crew conducting grading work found Casillas' remains at a private property in the 3600 block of Rio Road near The Crossroads Carmel shopping center, sheriff's officials said.

Responding deputies saw the body, which appeared to have been underground for an extended amount of time, according to the sheriff's office.

Anyone with information surrounding the death is asked to call sheriff's Detective Bret Speirs at (831) 755-3772 or Detective Randal Dyck at (831) 755-3792.

Also see: Inmate Dies Following Attack In Salinas Valley State Prison Rec Yard

--By Susan C. Schena (Patch Staff) and Bay City News /Image via Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office