This morning, Sgt. Ernie Stewart of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, who currently serves as the county’s deputy coroner, confirmed that his office is undertaking a criminal investigation in conjunction with human remains found near Hoopa yesterday.

“[This] is an active, ongoing criminal investigation,” Stewart told the Outpost. Because of this, he said, no more information could be released at this time.

The Two Rivers Tribune broke the story of the discovery of the body earlier this afternoon on its Facebook page, with a bit more information:

###

UPDATE, 2:27 p.m.: From the Sheriff’s Office:

On Sunday, 03-22-2015 at about 10:10 p.m. a citizen contacted the Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department, regarding human remains he had discovered in a wooded area off Bair Road which is off Pine Creek Road, Hoopa. The Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department then contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, who responded to the scene along with a Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Officer.

A Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Deputy secured the scene for the night, because of the late evening hours. On 03-23-2015 in the morning a detective with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and a Deputy Coroner responded to the scene to start their investigation. At this time it is unknown on the exact cause of death or the gender of the human remains. Officers are currently still on scene conducting an investigation.

An autopsy will be scheduled in the next few days to determine cause of death and the gender of the human remains.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.