Skull found

June 3, 1984
Willow Creek Drainage, San Jacinto Mtns
1984-010

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By Joe Erickson

SKULLDRUDGER – RMRU members Joe Erickson and Dave Ezell look at the skull cap found by a cross country hiker. Nothing else was found even though members dug around like gophers. (photo by Jim Fairchild)We received a phone call from the Sheriff's Dept. concerning a skull that was found in the Willow Creek drainage area. The skull cap was found by a hiker going cross country in the eastern slopes of the San Jacinto Mountains. He placed this skull on a rock where he could find it again and informed the Sheriff's Dept. upon his return to civilization.

We were asked to search for this and we agreed to do this search after we finished with our responsibilities at the Mountain Rescue Association seminar at Idyllwild, on the same weekend. I had to work that weekend but because this was an official mission, and because I am an active member, I drove up to assist the members already present. OUT OF PLACE – Helicopter 816 looks out of place in front of the 100 plus foot pine trees as it flies over the Wellman Cabin preparing to take members out after looking for evidence of a body. (photo by Jim Fairchild)Don Landells flew the informant, RMRU members Mel Krug, Kevin Walker, and the Sheriff's detective into the area, where they immediately located the spot. The rest of the team was brought in to find any more evidence. None was found and the theory is that this was from a persons camp we found years ago when looking for a Mr. Self. Mr. Self has not been taken off our books as a completed search because the evidence is not conclusive as to the identity of the bone fragments found years ago. Coyotes have most likely eaten and or moved anything they could from Mr. Self's camp or body.

The report from the Sheriff's Dept. is (as we suspected) that there was again not enough to identify this skull.