Reconstructions of the decedent; clothing and watch.
Reconstructions of the decedent; clothing and watch.
Date of Discovery: August 22, 1998
Location of Discovery: El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California
Estimated Date of Death: 3-5 years prior
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Undetermined
Estimated Age: 43-60 years old
Race: Asian
Sex: Male
Height: 5'1"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing: Canvas jacket; a button-down shirt that may have been greenish; jeans; worn leather shoes, ankle-high
Jewelry: A silver digital watch.
Additional Personal Items: Duffel bag, possibly green, with "Hollywood Park" emblazoned on the side. The duffel bag contained nothing. His pockets held a little change, the most recent minted in 1984.
The decedent was located in brush along a deer path in an El Cerrito park on August 22, 1998. A hiker ventured through a brushy, steep part of Hillside Natural Area and found the bones a few hundred feet off the path.
The skeleton was mostly intact. Scavengers likely moved the skull a few feet from the body. Detectives at the time found no obvious cause of death. Nor do they know what drew him to that particular spot, or what conveyed him there. People mostly go up there for the panoramic view of the bay.
They checked all missing-person cases throughout the Bay Area that bore even casual similarity to the body, and also registered it in a national database. Police also searched the scene intensively, even called in the Mount Diablo Metal Detector Club for help, but found nothing more useful.
Agency Name: Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Steven Casas
Agency Phone Number: 925 313-2850
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 98-1257
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 10759
NamUs
Contra Costa Times
CBS5
Added: 8/11/09; Last Updated: 5/19/18
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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