When a bear hunter came across what appeared to be a human skull near Sawtooth Berry Fields in Washington State on Sept. 4, the hunter reported the coordinates to local law enforcement.
After a detective recovered the skull, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release that “the skull was determined to be of human origin,” although the “identity of the remains is unknown.”
Sawtooth Berry Fields – known for its huckleberries and historical importance to northwestern tribes – is part of Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the site of two skulls recovered there in the span of a month.
Both cases are under investigation, per recent press releases by the sheriff’s office, which did not respond to the request for updates on the recovered skulls.
Huckleberry bushes at Sawtooth Berry Fields in Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington.
Alamy
On Aug. 10, a hiker at Big Lava Bed, which is part of Gifford Pinchot National Forest, came upon a skull, and, capturing the G.P.S. coordinates of the human remains, called local law enforcement, who were unable to at first locate the skull, according to a press release by the sheriff’s office.
So, on Aug. 15, the hiker returned to the scene with a Skamania County Sergeant, aiding in the recovery of the skull.
Citing “preliminary” findings, investigators believe the skull belongs to that of a hiker missing since 2013.
The identity of that hiker – who was last seen in the Big Lava Bed “and, after numerous coordinated search efforts, was never located” per investigators – has not been publicly released.
The skull and additional remains were sent to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office for “definitive identification,” per the sheriff’s office.
The second skull will also “be sent for forensic analysis in an attempt to make positive identification,” according to investigators.
The sheriff’s office said that investigators do not believe there is a public safety risk connected to either case.
