A hiker in San Bernardino County found remains later identified as a human skull on Wednesday morning, authorities said.
The explorer was near Twentynine Palms around 7:30 a.m. when he came across the unidentified remains, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
After the discovery, the hiker placed an emergency call, and deputies from the sheriff’s Morongo Basin Station confirmed the find and requested aid from homicide detectives.
The department sent detectives from its specialized investigation division, who were joined by investigators from the coroner’s division and other crime scene specialists, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The skull was recovered during a search by the law enforcement group. Authorities said had been exposed for an extended but undefined period of time.
The Sheriff’s Department said it would conduct a forensic exam. DNA gathered at the scene is also being tested.
A Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said Wednesday night that if the skull is not identified, the remains would stay in evidence, waiting for someone to file a missing person’s report. If it remains unidentified, the case would be considered cold.
The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone with information to call (909) 890-4904.
