Brothers Keep Human Bones Secret for 2 Years

Two brothers found a human skeleton in a remote part of Granada Hills but kept their discovery secret for two years, showing it only to friends several times, police said Wednesday.

The unidentified remains, brought to police attention on Monday, are believed to be those of a woman 30 to 50 years old, Los Angeles Police Lt. Warren Knowles said.

An autopsy Wednesday found no indication of the cause of death and no damage to any bones, Knowles said. An anthropologist told the coroner’s office that the body could have been there at least five years, the lieutenant said.

After the most recent visit to the location, three to four months ago, the number of people who knew of the skeleton had grown to six, all residents of the San Fernando Valley, Knowles said.

One of the brothers, now 19 and 22, told investigators that the friends feared they might “get in trouble” if they reported their find to police, Knowles said.

Detectives were led to the remains after one of the six confidantes contacted police, Knowles said.

Retaliation Feared

“The young man who came to us indicated that he was fearful that, should his identity be revealed . . there might be some retaliation” from his friends, the lieutenant said. “We don’t know if there was ever a threat.”

Police do not expect to seek criminal charges against the six, whose names are not being released, Knowles said.

Harboring a fugitive and aiding and abetting in a crime are against the law, Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Larry Diamond said. Failing to report a crime generally is not, unless a special circumstance applies, such as the requirement that a doctor or a teacher report child abuse, he said.

The spot where the woman’s remains were found is a steep, brush-covered hillside about a quarter of a mile from the intersection of San Fernando Road and Sierra Highway, Knowles said.