Police recovered skeletal remains Friday near the top of Mauna Kea following their discovery by hikers earlier this week. Police recovered skeletal remains Friday near the top of Mauna Kea following their discovery by hikers earlier this week. ADVERTISING Capt.
Police recovered skeletal remains Friday near the top of Mauna Kea following their discovery by hikers earlier this week.
Capt. Robert Wagner said the remains, which included bones and some clothing, were found at about the 12,000-foot level in a remote area and appeared to be less than 10 years old.
They were reported to police Tuesday.
There were no obvious signs of foul play and police did not find any pieces of identification, he said.
The skeleton was over 50 percent complete, Wagner said. Police have not concluded whether they are male or female.
Investigators will follow up on reports of missing persons on the mountain, Wagner said.
That includes the case of Brian Murphy, he said.
Murphy, of Plymouth, Mich., went missing on the mountain in 2007 after telling an employee at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station that he planned to hike the steep Humuula Trail from the station to Lake Waiau, at 13,030 feet.
A search for Murphy, who as 67 at the time, came up empty handed.
He was last seen wearing a light windbreaker and khaki shorts.
Wagner said the clothing recovered appeared to be a jacket and shirt.
An “artificial piece” was recovered in the bones, he said.
Wagner said dental records or X-rays could be used to identify the remains.
