citizen_sleuth
Verified family member - Orie Donald Esh thread
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NamUs #UP13006
Clay reconstruction of the victim
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 60
Estimated Age Range (Years): 35-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1976 - 1986
Estimated PMI: Years
Height: 5'8" (68 inches), Estimated
Weight: Cannot Estimate
Cause of Death: Gunshot wound to the head, likely homicide
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: November 28, 1986
NamUs Case Created: October 22, 2014
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Berry Creek, California
County: Butte County
Circumstances of Recovery: An Oroville woman and her family were looking for gold with a metal detector in a wilderness area near Berry Creek on November 28, 1986 when she found a skull with a single gunshot wound. The woman subsequently brought the skull to the Butte County sheriff's office.
On December 9, sheriff's deputies discovered additional skeletal remains hidden amongst leaves and rocks in a remote area of Bloomer Mountain off Encina Grande Road, just above the Hartsmill fire tower. Some of the bones had been disturbed by small animals, and it appeared the remains were fully-clothed although the clothes were badly disintegrated at the time of recovery. Aside from clothing fragments, no additional personal effects or camping gear was found in the area. The victim was determined to be a man, and a preliminary examination revealed he was likely between 50 and 55 years old when he died, but a newer estimate places the man's age at between 35 and 50 years old.
At the time of discovery, law enforcement officials estimated the remains had been on the mountain for two to three years, although the more recent NamUs entry states the man likely died between 1976 and 1986. The cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death is believed to be homicide.
Inventory of Remains: Torso not recovered; One or more limbs not recovered; One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No information entered
Clothing and Accessories
No information entered
News Coverage
Terry Vau Dell, "Man's skeletal remains found east of Oroville," Enterprise-Record [Chico, CA], 11 December 1986, 3A.
The skeleton, which appears to have lain undetected for two to three years, [Sgt. Bill] Elliott said, has been taken to the CSU campus for further examination by university anthropologist Turhon Murad.
[...]
Bloomer Mountain has been rumored for years to be a so-called "burial ground" for several drug-related murder victims.
Sgt. Elliott said the skeletal remains were in a rarely traveled wildlife area amid leaves and rocks.
Experts believe the victim was dressed, but that the clothing had since been "disintegrated" by the weather and passage of time.
Nothing else was found in the area, such as camping gear, or other personal items, noted Elliott.
He said small animals had disturbed some of the bones, but that they were not widely scattered when searchers found them Wednesday.
John Ellis, "Skeletal remains found," Oroville Mercury Register, 12 December 1986, 3A.
Butte County sheriff's deputies along with a university anthropologist are currently trying to indentify [sic] skeletal remains found in a wilderness area northeast of Oroville near Berry Creek, according to sheriff's Sgt. Bill Elliott.
Elliot added foul play could be involved.
Sheriff's investigators Tony Burdine and Mitchell Medved along with Chico State University anthropologist Turhan Murad found the remains under leaves and rocks Dec. 9 after an Oroville woman recovered a skull in the area and brought it into the sheriff's department Nov. 28, Elliott said.
[...]
The remains were discovered in a remote site on Bloomer Mountain about 15 miles north of Oroville and five miles west of Berry Creek, he said. The woman was with her family on an outing looking for gold with a metal detector when they found the skull, which they brought to the sheriff's department.
Though Elliot confirmed the cause of death has already been confirmed, he would only say "we possibly believe the person was a victim of foul play."
Though animals tampered with the remains, which Elliot said "could have been there one to three years," investigators recovered the biggest part of the body, which is currently being studied at Chico State for size, sex and age.
"It's just tentative," Elliot said, "but we have identified the remains as a male adult, 50 to 55 years of age."
The remains were found in a wildlife area off Encina Grade [sic] Road just above the Hartsmill fire tower on Bloomer Mountain. Elliot said the area is populated with deer and bear, among other things. "Everything is up there," he said.
Clay reconstruction of the victim
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 60
Estimated Age Range (Years): 35-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1976 - 1986
Estimated PMI: Years
Height: 5'8" (68 inches), Estimated
Weight: Cannot Estimate
Cause of Death: Gunshot wound to the head, likely homicide
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: November 28, 1986
NamUs Case Created: October 22, 2014
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Berry Creek, California
County: Butte County
Circumstances of Recovery: An Oroville woman and her family were looking for gold with a metal detector in a wilderness area near Berry Creek on November 28, 1986 when she found a skull with a single gunshot wound. The woman subsequently brought the skull to the Butte County sheriff's office.
On December 9, sheriff's deputies discovered additional skeletal remains hidden amongst leaves and rocks in a remote area of Bloomer Mountain off Encina Grande Road, just above the Hartsmill fire tower. Some of the bones had been disturbed by small animals, and it appeared the remains were fully-clothed although the clothes were badly disintegrated at the time of recovery. Aside from clothing fragments, no additional personal effects or camping gear was found in the area. The victim was determined to be a man, and a preliminary examination revealed he was likely between 50 and 55 years old when he died, but a newer estimate places the man's age at between 35 and 50 years old.
At the time of discovery, law enforcement officials estimated the remains had been on the mountain for two to three years, although the more recent NamUs entry states the man likely died between 1976 and 1986. The cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death is believed to be homicide.
Inventory of Remains: Torso not recovered; One or more limbs not recovered; One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No information entered
Clothing and Accessories
No information entered
News Coverage
Terry Vau Dell, "Man's skeletal remains found east of Oroville," Enterprise-Record [Chico, CA], 11 December 1986, 3A.
The skeleton, which appears to have lain undetected for two to three years, [Sgt. Bill] Elliott said, has been taken to the CSU campus for further examination by university anthropologist Turhon Murad.
[...]
Bloomer Mountain has been rumored for years to be a so-called "burial ground" for several drug-related murder victims.
Sgt. Elliott said the skeletal remains were in a rarely traveled wildlife area amid leaves and rocks.
Experts believe the victim was dressed, but that the clothing had since been "disintegrated" by the weather and passage of time.
Nothing else was found in the area, such as camping gear, or other personal items, noted Elliott.
He said small animals had disturbed some of the bones, but that they were not widely scattered when searchers found them Wednesday.
John Ellis, "Skeletal remains found," Oroville Mercury Register, 12 December 1986, 3A.
Butte County sheriff's deputies along with a university anthropologist are currently trying to indentify [sic] skeletal remains found in a wilderness area northeast of Oroville near Berry Creek, according to sheriff's Sgt. Bill Elliott.
Elliot added foul play could be involved.
Sheriff's investigators Tony Burdine and Mitchell Medved along with Chico State University anthropologist Turhan Murad found the remains under leaves and rocks Dec. 9 after an Oroville woman recovered a skull in the area and brought it into the sheriff's department Nov. 28, Elliott said.
[...]
The remains were discovered in a remote site on Bloomer Mountain about 15 miles north of Oroville and five miles west of Berry Creek, he said. The woman was with her family on an outing looking for gold with a metal detector when they found the skull, which they brought to the sheriff's department.
Though Elliot confirmed the cause of death has already been confirmed, he would only say "we possibly believe the person was a victim of foul play."
Though animals tampered with the remains, which Elliot said "could have been there one to three years," investigators recovered the biggest part of the body, which is currently being studied at Chico State for size, sex and age.
"It's just tentative," Elliot said, "but we have identified the remains as a male adult, 50 to 55 years of age."
The remains were found in a wildlife area off Encina Grade [sic] Road just above the Hartsmill fire tower on Bloomer Mountain. Elliot said the area is populated with deer and bear, among other things. "Everything is up there," he said.
