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Human Skull Found During Long Beach Easter Egg Hunt

County examiners are testing the remains to build an identification profile.

Overview

  • A family at DeForest Park, which hosted an Easter egg hunt Sunday around 5 p.m., reported finding a small skull along a trail.
  • The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner recovered a skeletonized skull and mandible and transported them to the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center for analysis.
  • Police sealed off part of the park with crime-scene tape, placed a canopy over the find, then reopened the area after evidence collection and said there was no immediate public threat.
  • Investigators have not determined identity, age, cause of death, or how long the remains were there, and early reports conflicted on whether the find was human before later statements cited a confirmed skull.
  • Next steps include forensic anthropology, dental records checks, and DNA comparisons along with a review of missing-person cases, a process that can take weeks.