Long story short... I discovered a body dump when I was 11 years old (in 91/92... so almost 20 years ago) in a Canyon Preserve behind our house in San Diego / Del Mar (several miles out in the canyon preserve... it took me about 3 hours of walking to get there). LOTS of bodies (somewhere between 7 & 20). I never told anyone, because I was still at the "adults & police are gods and know everything" phase, and didn't want to get into trouble for messing around in the adult sphere. I had very authoritarian parents, and there were "kid things" and "adult things" and never the twain should meet. (It seriously never occurred to me that the authorities wouldn't know about it, until many years later). Of course, ever since then, I've felt terribly guilty over not reporting it.
Behold the wonder of google earth. Last night I think I may have found it (from landmarks I remember walking as a child). I'd day with 70-90% probability. Until I followed my route via satellite I could never remember anything that would "help" (West, slightly north, follow the creek, veer off and walk a couple of miles doesn't help when the preserve is hundreds of miles big). Now though, I can trace my route with high probability, right to the odd cluster of rocks behind a hill (See what I mean? Odd cluster of rocks isn't that useful).
Should I call? I would hate to waste precious man hours on what might well be a wild goosechase... and I live several thousand miles away (aka it's not like I could go check for myself to see if I'm right). I'm tempted to call just to see if it was ever found, but if it wasn't... Aargh. The dilemma. They could be long gone, or I could be wrong as to the location. It was a fairly well established site... but the canyon preserve is less than 1/3 of what it used to be. Half of me says if there's even a chance I should phone, and the other half... well the potential for creating more problems is pretty high.
Advice? Professional Opinions?
Just wanted to let eveyone know I'm working with law enforcement right now. I'll update if any info comes available.
You need to report it. Do not wait.
My husband works for the Austin Police Dept.
He says this could help a lot of families solve a lot of mysteries.
It could be it also has been discovered long ago.
I am sorry this was so hard for you.I am sending you strength.
I think that at this point, it would be something that you should report to the FBI, as they handle missing persons and cold cases. Plus they probably have good enough satellite technology available to them to at least research it from a distance before sending out physical scouts. Good luck!
R., yes, you should report it! Let the police agency decide whether or not they want to investigate. I can think of no way that you could get in trouble and you'll have a load off your mind. Just tell them something similar to what you've written here. If you want you can write or send them an e-mail message. Be sure to include info on how to talk with you. This sounds a bit far fetched and they won't act unless they can ascertain thru talking with you that this has the possibility of being legitimate.
I've followed your questions and answers on this site and think of you as level headed. You have had many experiences from which you've learned much that is helpful for all of us. If you speak as well as you write they will take you seriously tho they may decide not to follow up since your info is 20 or so years old. I think you're military or ex-military. Law enforcement has a similar milieu. I suggest that you'll soon feel comfortable talking with them.
I'm not up on technology and so don't understand how you tracked the location using google earth. However, if you can track it, law enforcement can too. I don't think you'd have to be there.
Do you know what department or agency would provide law enforcement for the preserve? That is the agency to call, I think. If you don't know start with the county in which it's located. Ask to speak with a cold case detective. Expect to be questioned in detail or the opposite, to be put off. If that person won't listen, ask to speak to a supervisor.
One of the mom's suggested calling the FBI. I would start with the county or the preserve law enforcement but if they don't listen, call the FBI.
Sigh! What a memory to carry all these years! I understand your not telling anyone. Even without your family dynamics, I suggest that you could've been be too frightened and wanted nothing more to do with it. You could have wanted to deny ever having seen it, even. Lots of reasons to not tell anyone. Let go of the guilt, if you can.
For you to try to find it after all this time is testament to how it has affected you and that closure is needed. Report it to the authorities, don't feel guilty over not reporting it, you were just a child when this happened.
I would PM Marda, she was in law enforcement for a long time, she could probably give you some really good reasurance about it. If it were me, I think I would report it too. I know exactly what you are talking about. When I was about that age, I was in the woods behind our home with some girls I was babysitting picking wild black berries, and a man walked up to us and was fondleing himself. I gathered the kids, and we just ran. I never told a soul, and I never figured out why.
M.
.
I'm not in law enforcement but just wanted to give you support. I think you should report it. It is VERY understandable your not reporting it as a child and your hesitance now to do so. Not going through this one can only imagine what that was like, it must have and must seem surreal like a really BAD nightmare. For a lack of better words I think a mind wouldn't want to acknowledge that reality. Also, think of it this way, the potential actually is answers may be found for relatives or even clues to help find criminals who may still be out there. The worst case scenario is, detectives get practice honing their skills in this sort of search. There was a suggestion to talk to a specific person who is a member of Mamapedia. I think that is a great idea. You may get some insight on how to go about reporting it and who to specifically talk to. All the best and I hope whatever happens it eases your mind!
.
I would report it, even if you can not be sure of location. If you have an idea they could go out with dogs, and at least you will know you tried to bring peace to all those familys.
Report it... many unsolved cases probably lying right there....
I know how hard this is...
It seems, many here think you should report it...
all the best, please let us know what happens if you find out,
Susan
Hi R.,
I read your post to my husband, who is a former police officer and worked briefly on the Green River murders investigation. He said you should report it. They have volunteer search and rescue teams that will go out and track your location description and see if there is anything still there, if it has not already been discovered and investigated. So don't worry about wasting precious man power. He said that Google Earth shoudl be able to give you a lattitude and longitude of the approximate area in that canyon, and you can give that info to the police to help guide searchers. You can do so anonymously if you are concerned about getting too involved. But, you should release yourself of this guilt, and release the family members of any undiscovered victims of their grief and wondering where their loved one is. Peace be with you, A.
Oh my goodness, R., you've been living with this your entire adult life?!
I would think a discovery of 7-20 bodies would make even NATIONAL news.
I know it must be really icky (can't even imagine), but if only for the sake of your own sanity, you really ought to try to report it!
Good Luck to you, keep us posted!
I am not in law enforcement. Have you checked archives of crimes or deaths in that area. I'm sure if it was found, it would have been in the local paper. I would say if you are 100% sure that is what you saw...I would call the police in that area.
I had been living in SoCal up until 2002 and I still have a lot of friends and relatives living down there so I would think I would have heard news of this body farm if law enforcement had been called in to investigate it. I agree with Martha R. that you should PM Marda and get her assistance on sorting this all out. Hopefully the contacts that she has can help make this as painless of a process as possible.
Do us a favor and keep us notified on whatever happens with this situation. This is definitely probably the most unique post that this board has had in years.
Good luck with however you decide to approach this.
call. maybe it was a body farm, since it was out in the boonies, and law enforcement should be able to tell you that.
Okay - I'm going to put judgement aside here and wonder how this affected you - couldn't have been healthy.
Actions? No - do not call San Diego. Go down to your local police department, speak to a detective face to face about what happened and ask them for help in clearing this up. You will be taken more seriously and will be required to answer several questions anyway. Then your police department can decide on the best course of action.
I know you are scared to bring it to light because you have to admit that you let it go or you are afraid to cause a big ruckus. But think of it this way. If the site wasn't found, someone, somewhere is praying for their daughter, mother, father, brother or friend to be found. Someone thinks about them every night and desperatly wishes for peace of mind. You have the power to give it to them. You have the power to help them heal, R.. Only You.
Be a responsible citizen of the universe and give them closure. Don't walk - run.
I have relatives in that area and they have never mentioned a finding like that. I would call the authorities. My husband is a member of search and rescue and they usually get sent out on this kind of thing. If nothing else you will get closure for finally being able to report what you saw. Good luck.
Call! With the technology they have now I bet they could find it. What an interesting story!
You really should tell somebody. I think if you don't this memory will haunt you for the rest of your life. Release some of the guilt you are carrying by notifying the authorities. Let them do what they will with the information. But get it off your chest!
I pray you find peace from this horrible memory.
It could be a serial killer's best spot. Or a gang uses it as a sure sight that is well hidden. You have nothing to lose in an anon tip. Print the sheet out and explain all then send it by US mail. If the Police dept where you grew up is so foolish as to overlook your report then that is their problem.
You were an oppressed kid and really did not have the guts to tell.
Tell now as you are grown up. There may be fresh bodies going into that site all the time.
I think you should call the police and let them know what you remember. There is never too much time passed to make a report, especially if you've never seen/heard about this find on/in the news. There could be family members still waiting to hear about their loved ones and in need of closure. Do them a huge service and report what you remember.
have a friend in that area go check it out and if its where you thought it was have them call.
It sounds like this is weighing on you. It's probably time to hand it over to someone who can do something about it. I would go ahead and report it.
