DNA used to identify human remains found on hill above downtown Tacoma
Human remains recovered last year from a hillside above downtown Tacoma belong to a 40-year-old man.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office this week was able to identify the man and determine that he died from heroin poisoning. His next of kin has been notified.
It can often be difficult to identify a decomposed body. In this case, medical examiners were able to use DNA to figure out who the man was.
His remains were found Feb. 11, 2018, on a hill near North Schuster Parkway and South Fourth Street.
A resident out for a walk spotted the remains and called 911. Because it was late afternoon, officers guarded the area overnight and recovered the remains the next day.
The death was ruled accidental.
This story was originally published June 25, 2019 at 1:28 PM.
