Mystery deepens as decomposing body found at bottom of California cliff near site of washed up human remains
A decomposing body was spotted near a cliff at Rancho Palos Verdes, California, just days after human remains washed up on the same shore.
The body was found by a hiker along a Pelican Cove trail around 1 p.m. Saturday. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LACSD), investigators believe the person may have fallen outside of Dina’s view.
The unidentified individual was found in a “severe state of disrepair” near the 31000 block of Palos Verdes Drive South – which is in close proximity to where human limbs were found several days earlier.
But police said Saturday’s gruesome discovery is unrelated to the other incidents.
‘While [the hiker] “While she was admiring the area, she looked down and saw what she thought was a body at the base of the cliff,” LACSD Lt. Steve DeJong said at a press conference on Sunday.
“The body was approximately 15 to 18 meters above the seabed, and based on our limited expertise in identifying decaying bodies, it appears that it has probably been there for several months.”
DeJong said the LA County Homicide Unit was on scene to determine the cause of death – whether it was an accidental “slip and fall” or “foul play.”
He said nothing further about the investigation and the cause of death is still unclear.
A hiker noticed the decomposing body near a Pelican Cove trail on Saturday
Lt. Steve DeJong said the body found had likely been decaying for several months
The scenic spot has quickly turned into a spooky location as this isn’t the first time a gory discovery has been made along the coastal city.
A partial leg was found Thursday near the 6800 block of Paseo Del Mar in Palos Verdes Estates. As authorities continued their search, they found a femur the same day.
Just a day earlier, a family hiking on Christmas Day found a leg on Bluff Cove Trail on the 800 block of Paseo Del Mar.
It is not known whether the body parts all belonged to the same person.
Two sailors were reported missing on Christmas Eve, just two miles from where these body parts were found.
The men, believed to be in their 50s, disappeared after their boat capsized near Cabrillo Beach amid forecasts of 13-foot waves.
A family out for a walk on Christmas Day first encountered a stage on Bluff Cove Trail on the 800 block of Paseo Del Mar
Investigators believe the body found Saturday may have fallen off the cliff
Rescue crews began searching around 5:30 a.m. and quickly found their boat on some rocks around the 1800 block of Paseo Del Mar.
Due to the weather conditions, the search for the sailors was scaled back.
The Coast Guard announced the suspension on Wednesday after finding no evidence that the unidentified men could still be alive.
Authorities have found no evidence indicating the remains are those of the missing boaters.
“We’re not ruling anything out, but that hasn’t been determined at this time,” Palos Verdes Estates Police Chief Aaron Belda noted.
On Nov. 16, a human skull and bone were found along the 300 block of Paseo Del Mar near the Rat Beach waterline, according to a police investigation. press release.
Two fishermen went missing near the area where the remains were found, but police have yet to find evidence linking the discoveries
Palos Verdes resident John Crayton was among those who expressed concern about the discoveries
When officers from the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department arrived on the scene, they found more bones in the area.
The series of recent horrific events has left locals shocked and fearful.
Palos Verdes resident John Crayton told the story NBC on Thursday: “This is terrible. “It’s Christmas, it should be a time of joy.”
“It’s just shocking and it makes you wonder if you know and think that this could be my family,” said Zully Ozuna, a beachgoer from Palos Verdes.