citizen_sleuth
Verified family member - Orie Donald Esh thread
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NamUs #UP2473 / Doe Network 1429UFCA
Demographics
Sex: FemaleRace/Ethnicity: Uncertain, possibly Asian or Native American ancestry
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre-30
Estimated Age Range (Years): 18-25
Estimated Year of Death: 1963-1973
Estimated PMI: 2 years (news reports say a minimum of 2 years)
Height: 5'3" (63 inches), Estimated
Weight: Cannot Estimate
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified DeceasedDate Body Found: March 23, 1973
NamUs Case Created: August 25, 2008
Location: Phelan, California
County: San Bernardino County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped): N/A
Found On Tribal Land: N/A
Circumstances of Recovery: Over the course of the first two weeks of April 1973, a dog belonging to the owner of a small ranch in the high country outside of Phelan brought home three bones -- a skull, jawbone, and leg bone. The bones were believed to have been found about a mile south of White and Phelan roads. When a student at Ontario High School visited the ranch owner one weekend, he gave her the bones to take to her anthropology class. After reflecting upon the discovery, however, the ranch owner decided that he ought to alert the sheriff's department and deputies subsequently went to Ontario High School and retrieved the bones.
The skull was confirmed to be human following an examination by the San Bernardino county coroner and was said to be at least two years old. Additionally, Sheriff's Lt. Gene Crawford confirmed that the skull had two small holes in it, approximately the size of a .22 caliber bullet, leading authorities to speculate the skull belonged to a homicide victim.
Authorities conducted additional searches of the area in the hopes of uncovering the rest of the body, but no further remains were found, with the exception of a possible rib bone.
Inventory of Remains: One or more limbs not recovered; One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial remains with soft tissues
Physical Description
Hair Color: UnknownHead Hair Description: Unknown
Body Hair Description: N/A
Left Eye Color: Unknown
Right Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No known information
Clothing and Accessories
Clothing: No information enteredFootwear: No information entered
News Coverage
"Human skull find spurs desert search," Progress Bulletin [Pomona, CA], 10 April 1973, 1.
A sheriff's office spokesman said the skull and bones were dug up in the past few weeks by a dog owned by Don Parson, the owner of a small ranch in the high country near Phelan. Parson gave the skull and bones to Miss Hart for her class, but later decided he had better call the sheriff's department.
The skull, according to Parsons, had two small holes in it resembling bullet holes, indicating the person may have been the victim of a murder.
Parsons told Miss Hart that his dog for the past few weeks had been dragging in bones off the desert. Then last week the dog finally brought back the skull.
[...]
The skull was described as being of a small person, a child or possibly a woman. Deputies said they also had to determine if the bullets were fired before the person died, or afterwards.
"Dog discovers possible crime," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 11 April 1973, 1.
Sheriff's Lt. Gene Crawford said Tuesday that Parson's dog found what appears to be a human skull and other bones. The skull, rather old, appears to have two holes about the size of .22 caliber bullets in it and a search is being conducted to find the rest of the body.
Dennis R. Pollock, "'Show and Tell' Project May Be Linked to Murder," San Bernardino County Sun, 11 April 1973, B1.
"No clues yet to identity of human bones," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 12 April 1973, 1.
Deputies are still searching the Phelan area for a grave site or the bones of [a] person believed dead for a couple of years. A skull, jawbone and a legbone found recently have led authorities to believe a crime may have been committed and the body dumped in the desert near Phelan.
Lt. Ron Forbush of the sheriff's homicide office in San Bernardino said that a dog belonging to Phelan resident Donald Parsons brought the bones to the Parsons home. Over the weekend, an Ontario girl, Debbie Hart, and her family were visiting the parsons [sic] home. He gave the three bones to the girl for her anthropology class, but had second thoughts and called sheriff's authorities in Victorville Monday.
The skull appears to have two bullet holes in it, authorities said. Homicide officers and personnel from the Victorville office began a search of the area Tuesday, but to date nothing has been uncovered.
"Skull Found in Desert Is That of a Human," San Bernardino County Sun, 13 April 1973, C8.
Chief Coroner's Deputy Allen Paine yesterday said a skull found in the Phelan area has been determined to be that of a human.
Earlier this week sheriff's detectives reported the finding of skeletal remains about a mile south of White and Phelan roads.
[...]
Investigators say the bones, believed to be at least two years old, will be turned over to an anthropologist for examination. Only the skull has so far been termed human, and the origin of the other bones is not yet known.
Deputies on Tuesday searched an area with a mile radius near the find and turned up what may be a rib bone. They did not find signs of a grave.
[...]
A detective said a dozen members of the Victorville sheriff's mounted posse yesterday searched the area from horseback and found another bone. He said within the next two weeks it is expected 25 mounted deputies and a sheriff's helicopter crew will again search for more remains.
