[Update: Photos; Viewer Discretion is Advised] Search for Human Remains in Eel River Underway After Swimmer Discovers What Appears to Be a Human Tibia

Using cadaver dogs, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office personnel searched a stretch of the South Fork of the Eel River north of Redway today for human remains. The search was prompted by the discovery of what is believed to be a human tibia bone on July 6 by a Redway resident swimming in the Eel River.

In an interview with Redheaded Blackbelt, the resident stated that during the record-breaking heatwave, they took to the river in an attempt to cool off. During their swim, the resident noticed what appeared to be a bone sticking out from a sand bank where the water had created a sand cliff from river flow erosion. Initially thinking the bone belonged to an animal, the resident pulled the bone from the sand for a closer inspection.

The bone, they said, appeared to be a human tibia with the top of the bone intact, featuring what looked like a meniscus. The lower portion of the bone was broken near the ankle area. Realizing that they had likely found human remains, the resident decided to leave the area untouched in case other remains were present.

Upon returning to their residence, they contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. To confirm the remains as human, the resident sent photos to HCSO. A deputy was dispatched from McKinleyville to retrieve the potential remains from the resident that evening; however, no search of the location area occurred according to the person who found the remains.

HCSO Investigator Mike Fridley stated during a phone interview with Redheaded Blackbelt on July 9, that although the coroner had deemed the bone unlikely to belong to a human, the decision was made to contact an anthropologist out of an abundance of caution.

The Redway resident was confident that the bone they found was human and told Redheaded Blackbelt that the bone did not appear to have been in the river a prolonged time due to its condition. They noted the bone appeared to have an intact meniscus, which is a piece of cartilage attached to the shinbone (tibia) that helps stabilize the knee.

On Monday evening, nine days after the bone was discovered, the resident said they were contacted by HCSO stating that they now believed the bone to be human. They stated that HCSO informed them that personnel would conduct a search of the area for additional remains.

In a press release issued on July 16, HCSO stated, “To conduct further confirmation of the bone’s origin, the Coroner’s Office elected to have the bone examined by anthropologists, who have deemed the bone as possibly human—further examination is pending.”

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office lists 63 people in their missing persons database, though countless others may go unreported. In neighboring Mendocino County, Terry McInnes, 65, was reported missing earlier this year in April. His empty vehicle was found in the East Branch of the South Fork of the Eel River, where he is believed to have attempted to ford the river in high water conditions, approximately 20 miles upriver from where the current cadaver search is underway.

Further testing of the bone and any additional remains found will be needed to identify their origins. If human, DNA testing will likely be used in an attempt to identify the remains.

A collaboration between HCSO and Othram Labs, a DNA lab that uses genealogical data to identify remains, has helped solve multiple unsolved cases and unidentified remains since they partnered in 2023.

Read the full HCSO press release here: 

On 7/6/2024, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of bones discovered in the South Fork of the Eel River near Redway. Upon initial investigation, photos were viewed by the Coroner’s Office and determined unlikely to be human. A deputy responded to the scene, interviewed the witness, and collected the bone for further investigation. To conduct further confirmation of the bone’s origin, the Coroner’s Office elected to have the bone examined by anthropologists, who have deemed the bone as possibly human—further examination is pending. Additional follow-up searches are underway at the scene to locate further remains, with the use of deputies and two cadaver search dogs.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

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Update: Warning, the following photos contain what may be a human bone. Viewer discretion is advised.

Photos of the found bone as it was discovered in the bank of the river.

Mentioned in this article: Piercy Man Missing; Vehicle Found in the East Branch of the South Fork Eel River

Update: Eel River Bone DNA-Matched to Missing Man Mark Burleigh, Says Mother

Earlier:

• Missing Man Sought by Worried Family, $1000 Reward – Redheaded Blackbelt
• $5000 Reward Offered in Case of Missing Garberville Man – Redheaded Blackbelt
• Missing SoHum Man, Mark Burleigh, Possibly Spotted in Eureka Area – Redheaded Blackbelt
• Cold Case Mendocino: Mark Burleigh: Missing Man Known to Frequent Murder Mountain – Redheaded Blackbelt
• Two New Disappearances Added to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Unsolved Cases Webpage – Redheaded Blackbelt
• Have You Seen Mark Burleigh? – Redheaded Blackbelt