Crime & Safety

San Mateo Sheriff Asks for Public's Help to ID Skeleton

The remains, found in Mid-February, are of a large man.

The San Mateo Sheriff’s Office sent a release on Thursday, February 28, asking for assistance from the public in identifying the skeletal remains of a large man that were discovered in the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. February 18 in On Monday afternoon, 2/18/13 a local resident was hiking in the

The Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is an approximately 4,400 acre area located west of Skyline Boulevard approximately 6 miles south of highway 92 in San Mateo County.

According to the release and reports filed at the time, a hiker walked off a trail in the preserve and discovered a human skull and other skeletal remains, articles of clothing and a pair of shoes.

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The hiker returned to the Skyline Blvd. area where he was able to call 9-1-1 from his cell phone. Sheriff’s Deputies as well as Rangers from the Mid-Peninsula Open Space Trust responded and were shown to the area by the hiker.

Detectives from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office as well as investigators from the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office were called to the scene according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Rebecca Rosenblatt. The remains were removed from the scene and the process of identification was begun. Thus far, no identification of the decedent has been made.

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The Coroner’s investigation and examination by a Forensic Anthropologist has determined that the victim had been dead for approximately 3 years. The remains are that of a white male adult between 54-64 years old. The physical description of the decedent appears to have been large as the pants located had a 54” waist size with a 30” inseam. The shoes located are described as blue, white and silver Nike Air Max Moto, size 12.

The Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office are still searching outstanding missing persons reports filed around the estimated time of death in an effort to make an identification.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who has any information about a missing person fitting the above description please contact Detective Matthew Broad at 650-363-4363.

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