In an effort to clarify some of the facts and timeline of this case...
On March 12, 1992 a male caller reports that he found a skeleton in Sand Canyon and provides detailed directions to the location. The caller refuses to identify himself. Law enforcement locates the remains the next day.
The body was nearly completely skeletonized. The victim was aged between 35 and 50 and stood between 6’0” and 6’3”. He had reddish/brown hair.
The victim had dental work done, to include a root canal. The victim was missing several teeth prior to his death. The victim had been stabbed. The body was missing both hands and feet.
The body was clad only in what remains of a T-shirt. The shirt has a partial design of what appears to be a bird with outstretched wings with an orange circle (likely a stylized sun) in the background.
A pair of Levi Strauss 517 pants in relatively good condition was found inside of a moving blanket that was covered in white paint. The moving blanket and pants were found nearby. The pants are 32W by 36L. Men’s brief-type underwear were found nearby as well as a black Heavenly Lake Tahoe hat. The clothing was scattered over a broad area.
A pair of black Stadia shoes was located about a half mile away from the remains. There is evidence the shoes were too small for whoever wore them. There is also evidence the shoes had been repaired in somewhat of a unique manner. It is unknown at this time if the shoes actually have anything to do with this case.
At the time the body was located, a deputy sheriff on scene recalled handling an abandoned vehicle in October of 1991 (7 months prior to body discovery). An anonymous caller called this particular abandoned vehicle into the Mono County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle, a 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix, with Oklahoma plates, was found along Highway 338, about two miles from where the remains were found. The vehicle was found in a manner that suggested whoever put it there was trying to conceal it. The registered owner was ultimately located and interviewed, but nothing conclusive came out of the interview. The vehicle may or may not have anything to do with this case.
In 1999 this investigation was reactivated and a press release was put out. As a result, a woman who lives nearby reported she started seeing a dog come around her property about 9 months prior to the discovery of the body. The dog would leave in the direction where the body would later be found. The woman took a picture of the dog.
There was a dog collar located in the area of the remains however it is unknown how close the collar was located to the body. This photo was taken to area veterinarians, but no identifications were made. This dog may or may not have belonged to the victim. Nothing definitive to prove it either way was ever found.
In 2014, the case is reassigned again. Utilizing modern technology, a DNA profile of the victim was developed and entered into CODIS.
The clothing evidence will be re-processed utilizing modern technology in the near future. At that time, hopefully there will be conclusive proof as to whether or not any of the clothing and shoes belonged to the victim. Additionally, an isotope analysis of the victim’s hair will be done in the near future which could reveal clues regarding where the victim had been prior to his death.
A consultation was done with Texas State University regarding the condition of the remains in hopes of narrowing the time of death. Based on this report, we believe the victim probably died sometime between 4 and 14 months prior to discovery.
Previous investigators had the subject’s skull sent to a facial reconstruction artist. Those pictures are one artist’s rendition of what they believed our subject might have looked like. Detectives are sending the skull out to be reconstructed again for another perspective on what our subject may have looked like.
Other investigative leads have been developed as a result of the fresh look at this case, however these will not be publicly discussed at this time.
Further photos will be posted at a later time.
Please contact via private message lcsodetectives or mmarty with any leads on this case. Please keep in mind that while we can't always comment on certain aspects of the investigation, we do read these posts and we appreciate any and all ideas!
