Authorities say a child found the remains along a dirt path, and the Los Angeles County medical examiner is now leading the investigation.
LONG BEACH, Calif. — A family taking part in an Easter egg hunt at DeForest Park on Sunday found what authorities later confirmed was a human skull, turning a holiday gathering into an active death investigation in a Long Beach park used by families and runners.
The case drew immediate attention because the remains were found during a children’s event, in open view near a trail, and because key facts remain unknown. Investigators have confirmed only that a skeletonized human skull and jawbone were recovered and taken for forensic testing. Authorities have not identified the person, released an age, explained how long the remains were there or said whether the death was suspicious. Long Beach police said the county medical examiner is now handling the main investigation.
The discovery happened late Sunday afternoon, April 5, as families were using the park for Easter activities. Long Beach police said a 911 caller reported at about 4:48 p.m. that a child searching for eggs along a dirt path had found what appeared to be a skull buried in the soil. Officers went to the park, taped off part of the trail and called the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. The scene stretched from DeForest Park toward an area adjacent to East Osgood Street, according to officials. The county medical examiner later said one of its investigators responded that night for an initial scene assessment, then returned Monday morning with its Special Operations Response Team. That team recovered what the agency described as a skeletonized human skull and mandible and took the remains to the Forensic Science Center in Los Angeles for examination. The case was entered as Unidentified Doe #196.
Even after that recovery, the public record stayed narrow. Authorities have not said whether any other bones were recovered at the same time, though several early witness accounts described smaller bones near the skull before the formal removal was completed. Police have not released the sex, approximate age or likely time of death of the person whose remains were found. Local reports said homicide investigators also responded, but that does not by itself mean detectives believe a homicide occurred; officials were still waiting for the medical examiner to determine a cause and manner of death. That distinction matters. Until forensic testing is done, investigators may not know whether the remains belong to an adult or child, whether the death was recent or years old, or whether the bones were moved there from another location. The medical examiner said only that the death investigation is ongoing and that updates will be posted when more information becomes available.
The setting added to the shock. DeForest Park and its wetlands area are used for walking, running and family outings, and the discovery came with plastic Easter eggs still visible near the taped-off path. Marc Zaldana, who was near the park, told CBS Los Angeles the scene was “pretty tragic.” Fernando Guzman, another resident, told ABC7 he felt for the children who may have seen the remains. Gabriel Rivas, who said he and his girlfriend often walk and run there, told local television reporters the trail had always felt safe and that the discovery was unsettling. Their reactions captured why the case spread so quickly beyond Long Beach: it was not just a crime brief or a forensic update, but a jarring interruption of a public family ritual in a place neighbors describe as ordinary and familiar. That tension between a routine holiday gathering and an unexplained death scene is what made the story stand out.
The next stage will depend almost entirely on forensic work. The medical examiner’s office has custody of the skull and jawbone and is expected to examine them for identifying features, estimate age and biological profile if possible, and determine whether trauma is visible. Investigators may also compare the remains with missing-person records and national databases. Officials have not said whether DNA testing has begun, but that is one of the standard paths in an unidentified remains case when bones are recovered without clear personal effects or witnesses. Long Beach police have not announced any arrest, named any suspect or described any evidence of foul play. They also have not said whether the park area will be searched again for additional remains or items that could help identify the person. For now, the case remains in a holding pattern familiar in early death investigations: the scene has been processed, the remains are in forensic custody and the answers the public wants most are still pending.
The find also arrives against a broader local backdrop in which unidentified remains cases can take months or years to resolve. Long Beach Post noted that in April 2025, bones were found in the sand at Junipero Beach and authorities still had not identified that person even after later forensic work. That earlier case does not appear to be linked to the park discovery, but it shows how slowly these investigations can move when there is little immediate evidence. In the DeForest Park case, the lack of clothing, identification or public information about the surrounding scene may make that process even harder. The county’s statement was unusually brief, a sign that investigators may still be sorting out even the most basic details before saying more. What seems clear is that officials are trying to avoid premature conclusions. Early public guesses about the age of the skull or how it got there have not been confirmed by the medical examiner, and investigators have given no timeline for when those answers might come.
By Tuesday, the known facts were limited but firm: a child found the remains during an Easter egg hunt, police secured the area, and the county recovered a human skull and jawbone for testing. The next milestone is likely to be a medical examiner update saying whether investigators can identify the person and determine how that person died.
Author note: Last updated April 7, 2026.