A car found buried in a California backyard is being checked for possible human remains, police say
By Taylor Romine and Amanda Jackson, CNN
Authorities investigating the mystery surrounding a vehicle buried on a residential property near San Francisco did not find human remains Friday, a day after cadaver dogs had indicated their presence in the area.
The vehicle buried in the backyard of a home in Atherton, California, was first spotted Thursday morning by landscapers working on a project for the current homeowner, police said.
“Due to the unknown nature of why the vehicle was buried, cadaver dogs were called to the scene,” Atherton police said Thursday in a news release. “The cadaver dogs made a slight notification of possible human remains.”
On Friday morning, a cadaver dog again gave a “slight notification of possible human remains,” Atherton Mayor Rick DeGolia said. But no human remains have been found at this time, he added.
The dog’s indication could be due to the presence of blood, old bones or vomit, in addition to the possibility of human remains, Police Cmdr. Dan Larsen said. Landscapers have been on site, and if anyone bled or vomited, the dog could be reacting to that, Larsen explained.
Following the discovery, San Mateo Crime Lab technicians began excavating the vehicle on Thursday, police said.
The technicians resumed work Friday morning, excavating most of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, DeGolia said.
It appears the vehicle, a convertible Mercedes-Benz that was reported missing in 1992, was buried about four to six feet underground, DeGolia said. The car was found with the top down and bags of unused concrete throughout, including in the trunk.
Police have identified a possible owner of the vehicle and are attempting to verify through motor vehicle records, but it appears the owner has since died, the mayor said. Police would not say how the owner died as they are still working through the verification process.
The motive and circumstances surrounding the burial of the car are under further investigation.
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