Autopsy of body found off ACH indicates female died of blunt force trauma
Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau are still investigating the cause of death of a female whose decomposed body was found Saturday morning near Angeles Crest Highway, about 7 miles north of La Cañada.
Lt. Gary Harman, watch commander for the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station said the initial call came in at around 11:55 a.m. Saturday, after U.S. Forest Service workers doing work in the vicinity discovered human remains.
“U.S. Forest Service [employees] advised us they’d found a deceased person at the side of the road,” Harman confirmed Monday, adding the call was immediately referred to the department’s Homicide Bureau.
Initial reports indicated the remains were located “on the side of the road” near Angeles Crest Highway’s Mile Maker 31.46, but another watch commander noted the location of the body as being “over the side of the road,” Harman said, which could indicate the individual was discovered down an embankment.
Sarah Ardalani, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, said an autopsy conducted Tuesday determined the victim was female and that the cause of death was blunt force head trauma.
The manner of death was certified as a homicide, but the remains have yet to be identified.
“Right now we have the decedent identified as Jane Doe 100,” Ardalani said. “We’re still trying to figure out her name.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips may be phoned into the Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).
12:05 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reporting from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
This article was originally published on Nov. 19.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
