Hiker stumbles on human skull in iconic desert as mystery grows and detectives open homicide probe

A grisly discovery in a remote Southern California desert has sparked a homicide investigation after a hiker stumbled upon a human skull.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responded around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday to a rugged area near Adobe Road and Baseline Road in Twentynine Palms after the remains were reported.

Authorities said the skull appears to be an adult’s and had likely been exposed to the elements for an extended period of time.

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Joshua trees and towering rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park near Twentynine Palms, Calif., where authorities are investigating the discovery of a human skull. (Shutterstock)

The Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Detail has since taken over the case, a move officials told Fox News Digital is standard procedure in cases involving human remains. Detectives, along with the Coroner’s Division and crime scene specialists, conducted an extensive search of the surrounding area and recovered the skull.

Investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigate a crime Jan. 24, 2024. (Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

No additional remains were found.

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It remains unclear how the skull ended up in the remote desert landscape.

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San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department officials investigate a crime Jan. 24, 2024. (Brian Van Der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

The remains will undergo forensic examination and DNA testing as investigators work to identify the individual and determine how the person died.

Officials said they are comparing the remains against local, regional and national missing persons databases, but no identifying details, including age, sex or other characteristics, are known.

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Authorities say there are no known signs of trauma or foul play at this stage, though that could change pending further examination. There are also no known public safety concerns for residents or visitors to the area.

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Joshua trees dot the desert landscape near Twentynine Palms, Calif., where a human skull was recently discovered. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to ask whether additional items were found, how long the remains may have been there and whether more searches are planned.

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Officials said no other remains were located but declined to estimate how long the skull had been exposed and said additional information remains pending.

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Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities at 909-890-4904.