Investigators Find Human Skull, Other Remains In Backyard Of Valinda Home

VALINDA (CBSLA.com) — Investigators on Friday discovered a human skeleton in the backyard of a home in unincorporated Valinda.

Shortly before noon, a human skull and other remains were found during an investigation linked to the whereabouts of a person that was reported missing in 2009.

"We have recovered skeletal remains of a body," Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said. "It has not been identified yet, and it'll be a process that we'll follow through in trying to get the body positively ID'd as soon as possible."

It was unclear how long it would take to identify the remains.

Around 10 a.m., detectives initially reported what they referred to as an "area of interest" located in the northeast corner of the backyard.

Deputies were first sent to a home located in the 700 block of Elsberry Avenue around 7 a.m. on Thursday for report of human remains that were possibly buried in the backyard, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The L.A. County Coroner was called to assist at the scene.

Authorities stressed the current residents who live at the home are unrelated to this case, and they are cooperating with detectives.

Investigators will continue to dig meticulously with hand tools, and will forward the remains to the Coroner's office to be identified.

The missing person's identity was being withheld pending further investigation.

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