Hikers Discover Body Near Caspar

Press release provided by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office:

On 04-01-2015 at approximately 5:48 PM, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were detailed to the northern coastal bluffs of the Caspar Headlands State Park in Caspar, California as a California State Park Ranger had reported locating a deceased female adult, near the waterline, below a 70 foot cliff.

Sheriff’s Deputies arrived and learned that two visitors from out of the area were hiking along the coastal bluffs when they discovered the deceased female’s body at the base of a cliff.  The hikers immediately called 9-1-1 and requested law enforcement assistance.

California State Park Rangers responded and confirmed the discovery and notified the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

Fort Bragg Volunteer Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and launched a technical rope recovery and successfully recovered the deceased female.

A coroner’s investigation was initiated and at the time of the incident the deceased female’s identification was unknown and the cause of death was not obvious.

On 04-02-2015, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies continued the investigation and the deceased female was positively identified as Michelle Mixon, a 42-year-old adult female from Caspar, California.

Sheriff’s Deputies conducted a search of the bluffs and located personal property belonging to Mixon which had been neatly placed next to a freshly planed tree at the top of the cliff.  The personal property was approximately 275 feet from where Mixon had been discovered.

A forensic autopsy was performed on 04-02-2015 and official results are pending blood alcohol and toxicology analysis.

Injuries were noted on Mixon’s body during the forensic autopsy that would be consistent with a fall from the cliff.

Nothing uncovered thus far in the coroner’s investigation has suggested that Mixon’s death was the result of foul play.