Missing Cotati Teen Found Dead In Shallow Grave At Sonoma State Was Stabbed: Sheriff

SONOMA COUNTY, CA – The 18-year-old Cotati teen whose body was found Wednesday in a shallow grave on the campus of Sonoma State University was stabbed multiple times, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said today.

Detectives added that the killing of Kirk Ryan Kimberly "was not a random act of violence, but an isolated incident," and that the murder appears to have no link to Sonoma State.

"Thus far, detectives have found no affiliation with the homicide and Sonoma State University or its students, other than where the body was found, which was on the property in an isolated and secluded area of the campus," said Lt. Tim Duke.

Investigators on Friday declared the death of Kimberly, who was reported missing from Cotati in mid-October, a homicide.

"The pathologist was also able to determine the preliminary manner of death to be at the hands of another," the department said, "therefore, we are now considering this to be a homicide investigation."

Officials today said they are not disclosing such details as how many or where stab wounds were on the victim or what type of weapon was used.

Kimberly's body was found on the Rohnert Park campus by a landscaper around 3 p.m. Wednesday, covered by dirt and debris roughly 200 yards west of parking lot "M," and was identified using fingerprints.

The remains were "in the form of a body and are not just bones," Sgt. Spencer Crum said.

The landscaper made the discovery while removing brush and first notified Sonoma State police and the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety. The Sheriff's Office took over the investigation

Kimberly was last reported seen Oct. 17 when he left Cotati on a white bicycle to meet a friend in Rohnert Park, Cotati police said. He did not return home and stopped communication with friends and family, police said.

At the time, he was described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall, 140 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes and wearing a white T-shirt, vest, shorts, tennis shoes and a gold chain.

On his Facebook page, Kimberly posted he was a 2016 graduate of Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park and had previously attended Pathways Charter School, an independent-study program, also in Rohnert Park.

"Detectives, as well as other Sheriff’s Office personnel are continuing to work around the clock on this case collecting and processing physical, trace and forensic evidence," Duke said, adding that specifics regarding evidence and where it was collected also is not being released.

Anyone with information about Kirk’s disappearance or death is encouraged to call Detective Horsman of the Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit at 707-565-2185.

Previous coverage:

• Body Found in Shallow Grave at Sonoma State ID'd as Missing Teen: Sheriff
• Body Found in Shallow Grave at Sonoma State Was Male: Sheriff

--Images via Cotati police, Al Francis of NapaSonomaPhotos/BCN contributed to this report