Police: Remains Found Likely Those of Missing Belmont Man

A weekend discovery of human remains in rural Shasta County has authorities believing that they’ve found a missing elderly Belmont man.

Paul Merrill hadn’t been seen in over a month. Family members reported him missing on Sept. 4, when they did not hear from him after he visited the Mt. Shasta area and checked out of a hotel in McCloud, in Siskiyou County, according to Belmont Police Capt. Patrick Halleran.

Though there were reported sightings of Merrill in the Redding area about two weeks later, those leads did not turn up anything.

On Thursday, Merrill’s 1956 Mercedes SL190 was finally found by a rancher who was clearing brush on his land in a rural area of Shasta County, outside the Town of Burney.  Inside the car were his wallet and keys.

Search and rescue crews then increased their focus on that area for Merrill, according to Halleran.

“After a two-day search, Shasta County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue located human remains, in a rural area of Shasta County, near where Paul Merrill’s car was located last week outside the Town of Burney,” Halleran said on Monday. ”All indications point to the remains being that of the missing Belmont man.”

The man was found approximately 100 yards from Merrill’s car, in heavily wooded and steep terrain, Halleran said.

“While investigators are waiting for a positive identification, it is believed that the remains are those of Paul Merrill,” Halleran said. “There is no indication of foul play at this time, however the remains were turned over to the Shasta County Coroner for further investigation.”

Here’s more from Halleran’s statement:

“The Belmont Police Department would like to express our condolences to the Merrill family and thank the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, Redding Police Department and the California Highway Patrol for their support and assistance during the search for Paul Merrill. We would also like to thank the various media outlets who covered this story and the public who provided tips during the investigation.”