Crime & Safety

Autopsies Pending in National Park Deaths

The identities of the man and woman, who were discovered Monday along Black Eagle Mine Road, were being withheld pending next-of-kin notification, Detective Prezell Burgie said Wednesday.

Investigators were awaiting autopsy results Wednesday in the deaths of a man and woman discovered Monday about mile apart, and five miles from a stranded car, on a desolate desert road in east Joshua Tree National Park.

The cause of their deaths had not been officially determined, and their identities were being withheld pending next-of-kin notification, Detective Prezell Burgie of the Riverside County sheriff's Indio Station said.

"We don't want to guess on this case," Burgie said in a phone interview Wednesday morning. "The autopsies haven't been done. The next of kin have not been notified."

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Temperatures near the east end of Joshua Tree National Park were climbing over the weekend from the mid-100s to above 115 by Tuesday, according to readings provided by the National Weather Service.

The bodies were discovered Monday in the Riverside County portion of Joshua Tree National Park, near Black Eagle Mine Road, a sheriff's lieutenant said.

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The man's body was reported to authorities at 6:48 p.m. Monday by a couple who were visiting the park, said Lt. Terrence Tingle of the sheriff's Indio Station.

Arriving emergency personnel found the dead man on the edge of Black Eagle Mine Road, more than a mile and a half east of Pinto Basin Road, and north of the Cottonwood Visitors Center off Interstate 10, Tingle said.

A few hours later, deputies found the body of a female along the same road, about a mile east of the man's body, Tingle said.

Deputies next found a car stranded on the same road about five miles east of the woman, Tingle said.

"Investigation shows the man and woman may have been travelling together and may have been using the car we found stranded," Tingle said.

Riverside County firefighter/paramedics, a National Park Service Ranger, Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau personnel, and evidence technicians assisted, Tingle said. The investigation was continuing.

"We're not releasing the vehicle description at this time," Deputy Angel Ramos of the sheriff's department said in a phone interview.

Anyone with further information was urged to call Investigator Prezell Burgie at (760) 863-8945, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Indio Station at (760) 863-8990, or send an email to IndioStation@riversidesheriff.org.


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