In what could be a plot for an Agatha Christie mystery, human remains may have been found Thursday buried in the yard of a suburban San Gabriel Valley home.
An investigation was being conducted Thursday to determine if human remains — possibly those of a missing person — were buried in the yard of a home in unincorporated Valinda.
Personnel from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and the coroner’s office were sent to the 700 block of Elsberry Avenue about 7 a.m.
A sheriff’s spokeswoman said the investigation involves the whereabouts of a person reported missing in 2009. Authorities declined to identify the missing person, described only as an adult.
“Information was received that the remains of the missing person were possibly buried at the location,” Deputy Guillermina Saldana said.”The possible missing person is not believed to be a resident at that location. The current residents are cooperating with detectives.”
Sheriff’s Lt. Vic Lewandowski said detectives obtained a search warrant after “developing information” on the case, but declined to elaborate.
“This (excavation) is going to take quite some time, probably most of the day … because it’s a very tedious process,” Lewandowski said late this morning in remarks broadcast on ABC7. “And then if we do locate any remains … it would have to be determined if (they were) human or not.”
Lewandowski said the name of the missing person was being withheld.
“If it turns out that it becomes a homicide investigation, we need to protect the integrity and the sensitivity of the investigation,” he said.
—City News Service