PREVIOUSLY: Missing Man Last Seen in Eureka; Vehicle, Dog Found in Whitethorn

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From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On 08-13-2015 at 1:55 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a telephone call from a citizen, regarding a deceased subject they had found off the Briceland- Whitethorn Road. Deputies arrived on scene at 2:45 p.m. about spoke to the citizens, who found the deceased subject. They reported they work as fish biologists and had discovered the deceased body in a creek about 50 yards to the west of the Whitethorn Road.

Deputies then walked down to the scene, which was about ½ miles to the north of the Mendocino/  Humboldt County line. The decomposing body was lying in the creek bed and it appeared that the human remains had been there for a while.

The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and took possession of the body. The body was later identified through tattoos and identification located in the pants pocket as the missing  person, 44 year old Scott Joseph Fitzgerald.  

An autopsy is pending for exact cause of death.