Items Found by Divers May Yield Clues in 2 Deaths

A sleeping bag and a shoe found Friday by Los Angeles police divers may be clues to the deaths of a woman and a girl whose bodies were discovered under a commercial fishing boat off Long Beach, authorities said.

The items were recovered from the murky waters off Terminal Island a few feet from where the bodies were found in Fish Harbor on Thursday.

The woman and girl were discovered under the 85-foot-long Sea Queen II, which was docked near Tuna Street, police said. It was unclear how long the bodies had been in the water, they said.

The girl appeared to be about 4 to 9 years old, said Scott Carrier, spokesman for the county coroner’s office. The woman’s age was unknown. Both bodies were clothed and facing each other, bound together by a blue diver’s weight belt, he said.

Carrier said the case is complex because of the extent of the bodies’ decomposition.

“It may require the use of dental records if we are unable to obtain fingerprints,” he said. “It may come down to seeking the public’s help in this case.”

Carrier said an autopsy performed Friday on the woman did not reveal any obvious signs of external trauma.

Along with the shoe and sleeping bag, police recovered a knife, which they initially thought might be related to the crime. But Carrier said that was unlikely, based on the initial autopsy results. The girl’s autopsy is expected to be completed this weekend.

Los Angeles Port Police Officer David Knight said the gruesome discovery marked the third time this year that bodies have been found in Fish Harbor. Knight said that a man under the influence of alcohol fell into the water and drowned earlier this year.

In June, police found the body of a woman who had been stabbed numerous times.

Steve Neil, a diver who does maintenance for the Los Aneles Harbor, said he saw that woman’s body being pulled out of the water. “It’s creepy,” he said. “They’re happening so close together. It’s almost too much to think about.”

Thoai Nguyen, 53, owner of the Sea Queen II, said he was shocked that the bodies were found under his boat. Nguyen said he and his son had returned from a swordfish and tuna expedition in Hawaii on Sept. 10, when they anchored the boat in Fish Harbor.

They returned 10 days later and, shortly afterward, one of their employees discovered the bodies while cleaning the boat.

“At first I didn’t believe him,” said Tony Nguyen, 26. “But then I saw his face.”

At the Harbor Light, the only restaurant on Terminal Island, Friday’s morning crowd appeared spooked. Gary Maldonado, a part-time longshoreman who also works in special education, said the discovery was particularly unnerving because of the little girl. “I work with kids, and I hate to see anything bad happen to them,” he said.