Human skull found in Griffith Park identified as adult woman who died in the last decade

A human skull found earlier this month in a remote area of Griffith Park has been identified as an adult woman, authorities said Sunday.

A preliminary report by a forensic anthropologist has found that the woman was at least 20 years old at the time of her death, said Capt. John Kades of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

The woman died at least one year ago but not more than 10, Kades said.

Investigators are still working to positively identify who she was and how she died.

The skull was found March 19 by two hikers about 400 feet from the intersection of the Brush Canyon and Mulholland trails, Los Angeles Police Lt. Ryan Schatz said.

Human remains have been found several times in the Griffith Park, which sits between the hills of Burbank and Los Feliz, and covers more than 4,300 acres.

In 2010, a skull was found near a steep trail favored by experienced hikers.

In 2012, two women found a 66-year-old man’s severed head near the Hollywood sign in the park. The man’s right hand and feet were later recovered. Last fall, a man was convicted of murder in connection with the case.

A man who was convicted of meeting a minor for sex was found dead in January 2015 in the park. The coroner’s office later determined that the cause of death was suicide.

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