Human Skull Found Near the Mendocino/ Humboldt County Line Not Far From the 2012 Discovery of a Skeleton in Sneakers

Death Investigation featureOn October 8, 2020, a forester conducting timber harvest inspections in a creek bed southeast of the convergence of Highway 101 and 271 near the Mendocino and Humboldt County line made a grim discovery–a human skull.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Captain Greg Van Patten confirmed his agency was alerted to the situation at 2:29 p.m. that Thursday when the skull was recovered by detectives. Captain Van Patten specified that as of now “no other remains were located” and the “case is under investigation at this time.”

Captain Van Patten explained that MCSO’s Search and Rescue team has been delayed in search of the area where the skull was found due to “two major missing person’s searches on the coast from last weekend.” The two missing person cases Captain Van Patten is referring to are those of Sharon “Chris” Bear and Patricia Ahern who both returned home safely. Captain Van Patten said Search and Rescue will be engaged in a “large scale…search next week at some point” to comb the area where the skull was located.

 

Skeleton in sneakers

A large rock marks the head of where the skeleton was buried and bleached white on the shoes show where they had emerged from the earth and been bleached by the sun. [Photo provided in 2012 by a witness]

The discovery of this human skull is within five-mile proximity of an unidentified human skeleton discovered on October 29, 2012. Known locally as the “Skeleton in Sneakers” case, a kayaker on the Eel River with his young daughter had for years noticed a sneaker sticking out of the riverbank. Then, a few days before Halloween, giving into dark curiosity, the kayaker dug around what was now the exposed tips of two sneakers and found a sock full of bones. 

According to conversations with Captain Van Patten, MCSO was able to recover DNA from the “Skeleton in Sneakers,” but the DNA did not match any known missing persons. Captain Van Patten surmised the body could be someone from out of the area or “this could be a person that never was reported missing.”

The “Skeleton in Sneakers” case has entered Mendocino County’s cold case lore and the remains are unidentified to this day. Anyone with information about either of these cases is urged to call the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Tip-line at (707) 234-2100.

UPDATE: Skull Located Last Week Was Found in Area Where a Local Woman Went Missing and Not Far From Where the Skeleton of an Unidentified Man Was Located

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Dave Sky
Guest
Dave Sky
3 years ago

Welcome to the Emerald Triangle.

Bill
Guest
Bill
3 years ago

Agree, welcome. With the supposedly groovy marijuana industry in full swing for decades now, and the accompanying large amount of murders, trafficking, and unsolved missing persons, or bodies found in our once great community, it is no wonder we find ourselves in this situation.

But no, listen to what the majority of those in the community say….grow marijuana, it is a medicine, it is good for you and there is no crime associated with it. Oh and yeah this one….it is not a gateway drug!

Bull shit to all of what we have been told in the past, we now know what this has brought to our community.

Environmental degradation at the grows that are similar if not more detrimental than logging once was, death, murder, unsolved missing persons, human trafficking, endangered species decline from illegal use of rodenticides, on and on. The list is huge and still we turn a blind eye to what is happening in our hills, watersheds, and community.

It is so sad to see and so disappointing to know that it is continuing to this day, after decades of proof that it is not good for our community and environment!

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
3 years ago
Reply to  Bill

Bill you wrote 5 paragraphs.

I read 5 paragraphs which are tripe, lies and stupid. In other words completely wrong.

You know that of course but, dropped your stink-bomb just because it felt good. Why smell-up the site? Maybe post something that you know and leave the hate out side.

Stop and think, the entire world is filled with pissed-off people who will drop anything on a quality site. You should stop.

Bill
Guest
Bill
3 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

Rod, please point out my lies or stupid comments. What makes a comment stupid?

I’m not fooled by your attempt at deflecting, but interested in what lies I posted?

Thanks.

Death by Statistics
Guest
Death by Statistics
3 years ago
Reply to  Bill

“Bull shit to all of what we have been told in the past, we now know what this has brought to our community.”

This statement right here, Can be used to describe what most communities struggle with.

Higher cost of living.

Juanita
Guest
Juanita
3 years ago
Reply to  Bill

Our “once great” community was built on the bones of murdered & enslaved indigenous. Nothing new to see here.

onrust
Guest
onrust
3 years ago
Reply to  Juanita

If you read the article on fishing in Humboldt County there is a paragraph on not allowing the Chinese to come into Humboldt County. Ah, the other side of Paradise.

ROBERT L. NESSIER
Guest
ROBERT L. NESSIER
3 years ago
Reply to  Bill

Hey Bill a revolution is coming maybe not in our lifetime but rest assured that the great American life is fading fast…LOCK & LOAD

Law Abiding
Guest
Law Abiding
3 years ago

And still websites like this promote illegal and “legal” dope growing without mercy, assist in the destruction of American life and culture, and prop up dying hippie liberalism. Sick.

Kym Kemp
Admin
3 years ago
Reply to  Law Abiding

Thank you for supporting this website by reading and commenting.

2020
Guest
2020
3 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Best reply to trolls ever kym 😂

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  2020

🕯🌳And your here.

Helcat
Guest
Helcat
3 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Hello again Kim Kemp,

Just letting you know before I let the cops here know, that I’ll be a legal PI by Jan. 2021. To which my name of business will be The American #1 Psychic PI. I had a flash of your article yesterday or the day before while I was watering my trees. Go figure! And that flash happened within 48 hours. Meaning you then wrote about it being found ether right as I flashed it or soon after I flashed it. Anyhow just clicking in.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
3 years ago
Reply to  Law Abiding

Law,

I was willing to ignore your rant as tom-foolery until you overextended.

//assist in the destruction of American life and culture, and prop up dying hippie liberalism. Sick.//

I’m long time conservative, 71, and still have a couple nice plants about to be harvested. That’s my conservative medicine.

Your hate towards me and the other several thousand hippies on this site is disgusting and need not be published, it’s dumb. You’re lucky, Kym Kemp bends too far in the cause of constructive conversation. On a neutral, middle of the road site, your language and it’s stupidity wouldn’t get posted.

Byefelicia
Guest
Byefelicia
3 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

Rod I totally concur with you. People have no clue when they spew hate and they’re closed minded poison! Yet there is nothing new under the sun.

onrust
Guest
onrust
3 years ago
Reply to  Law Abiding

Damn, it has been a long time since I was called a hippie. I am still proud of it. And I thought American life was destroyed by stupidity and covidiots.

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago

Couple of thoughts about the “Skeleton in the Sneakers”.

I wish that there was a facial reconstruction for him. Some long time cold cases have been solved that way. Or genetic genealogy. He seems to have become just a curiosity.

And, the location of his body always intrigued me. Across the river from the road. Is there some back road to that site? And if not how did he wind up there of all places?

Hopefully the new found skull will bring some peace to some family.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

Probably one of the few places that was easy digging.

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Could be, but the location isn’t “easy”. That’s what gets me. Someone had to get the body (or the person) across the river. That’s a lot of work. Especially if he was as big a guy as is thought.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

I was also wondering about the DNA. Isn’t it possible that he had some relatives? I’m not sure how that works.

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEDmatch

I have never used it, but have read about it a lot recently.

Not only to catch criminals, but a few long cold unidentified victims have been identified using GEDmatch and maybe others.

Who owns the property?
Guest
Who owns the property?
3 years ago

Unless he was already across the River.

Sarah
Guest
Sarah
3 years ago

I’m pretty sure the skeleton in sneakers was found on the River bar by green bridge in piercy, there’s a trail to walk down to the beach from the main road but I think the body was probably washed up there when the river got high that winter, the reason it was buried in the sand I’m assuming, was high water pushing sand around.

NoBody
Guest
NoBody
3 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

… OR, and this may sound like a crazy and far fetched idea, maybe someone buried them there.

Kym Kemp
Admin
3 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

The MCSO was very clear that this was a burial not a washed up body. There was a large heavy stone at the head of the grave.

Talia Rose
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

The skeleton was found in a shallow grave piled with rocks. It was across the river with no access.

Nurse
Guest
Nurse
3 years ago
Reply to  Talia Rose

The fact that someone “marked” the grave says it’s probable that the person or people who buried them knew them, maybe even felt a way about their death like it was accidental or unfortunate that this person died by someone else’s hand. When someone buries a random body or someone they don’t care about, it’s usually done so that nobody will find it. They don’t waste time and mark the grave so it can be found again. They hide it somewhere. Not in a shallow grave with rocks marking it.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

That would be a great idea. From what I understand now instead of the clay on the skull it can be computerized.

Who owns the property?
Guest
Who owns the property?
3 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

But what about the odd placement of the big rock right over where his head was?

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago

🕯🌳There’s been a few specials on TV about people that work for various groups that bring their body’s here to bury them so they won’t be found so easily.

Dale
Guest
Dale
3 years ago

Being a former long time resident of Humbolt county, it saddens me to read the articles on human remains spread here and there. Being in the logging industry, and proud of it, and seeing its demise, being replaced with a weed that is maybe, possibly , beneficial to a few seems like an exercise in futility, done simply for the buck.
The price of a human is simply to great.
But I rant

Death by Statistics
Guest
Death by Statistics
3 years ago
Reply to  Dale

The ^price^ of a human’s footprint might be too great.

You’d be surprised to think what has been done, simply for the ^buck^.

Searchingforbobby
Guest
Searchingforbobby
3 years ago

Kim is there any information on the sneakerd remains? Like possible age, height etc? Any idea how long the body had been there?

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2013/mar/12/skeleton-sneakers-belonged-tall-white-man/

Kym had a lot of information as well (I got that link from here).

5’11” to 6’5″, 25 to 45. The family who found him said they had seen the tip of one sneaker for years, but seeing the second shoe tip is what caught their attention.

I think of you when something like this comes up. Always the best to you and I hope you are able to find Bobby.

Kym Kemp
Admin
3 years ago

That’s a piece I wrote for Lost Coast when I worked there, Angela.

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Yes….I should have been clearer when i said “Kym”…I meant on RHBB.

I picked that one because it seemed to go quickly to the heart of Searchingforbobby’s questions.

Kym Kemp
Admin
3 years ago

Here’s quite a bit of info including the distinctive shirt he wore. https://kymkemp.com/2013/10/29/one-year-after-skeleton-found/

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

He could have been lead down the river while deceased which would have been easier than carrying him to where he was buried. Just an idea.

Amy
Guest
Amy
3 years ago

Were the bodies of the family that plunged into the raging River there just north of the peg house ever recovered?