Body found near SUV crash site may be missing Hart child
Officials say remains may belong to one of three missing siblings of the Hart family after mysterious SUV crash.
Human remains turned up Saturday near the California site where a family's SUV mysteriously plunged off a cliff more than a week ago, as officials said the body may be one of the three missing young siblings.
The Mendocino Sheriff’s office shared the news on Twitter, saying that the body "appears to be an African American female." Officials said the cause of death was unknown.
The body was discovered following a two-day storm that swept through Northern California.
HART CHILDREN SEARCHERS FIND CELLPHONE NEAR CRASH SITE, POLICE SAY
The remains of Sarah and Jennifer Hart, along with three of their children, were found on March 26. Investigators said they believed the driver deliberately sped the SUV, with the six adoptive children inside, off the cliff.
The three children whose remains were found at the scene were identified as Markis, 19; Jeremiah, 14; and Abigail, 14. The three other children — Devonte, 15, Hannah, 16, and Sierra, 12 — were still listed as missing.
HARTS LIKELY RECEIVED $270G FROM TEXAS AFTER ADOPTING KIDS FROM HOUSTON AREA: REPORT
"The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is monitoring the ocean conditions to see when further searches might be safely conducted," Lt. Shannon Barney said. "This evaluation includes the use of divers if conditions permit."
An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday but positive identification will most likely be done by DNA analysis which could take weeks, investigators said.
The SUV had stopped at a coastal highway overlook before speeding straight off the cliff and plummeting 100 feet into the rocky Pacific Ocean below, officials added.
The five bodies were found a few days after Washington state authorities began investigating the Harts for possible child neglect.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
