Missing since August of last year, the skeletal remains of a Del Norte man have been found in Modoc County. T
he sheriff’s office says the remains were discovered on May 25th after a Collins Pine timber company employee called in reporting an abandoned vehicle in the Upper Hill units of the California Pines area. A wallet was also found next to the car. Through the identification card and license plate, deputies determined the vehicle belonged to 64 year Rodney Lee Kinney of Del Norte, who was reported missing since August 22nd. His daughter says he was going to Cave Junction, Oregon, to pan for gold but never returned home. Deputies and the Sheriff’ss posse searched the vehicle’s location, finding the skeletal remains that investigations determined had no trauma.
The cause of death has been ruled undetermined.
Satellite imagery found that Kinney’s car had been at that exact location since August 23rd.
