More bones unearthed near Mill Creek

Auburn police are searching missing person databases in five counties for a report of a young woman after the King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified a pelvis pulled from Mill Creek late last week as that of a Caucasian woman under 30 years old.

The pelvis and a tail bone found at the site were the last two items pulled from the Mill Creek area off Peasley Canyon Road near the on-ramp to State Route 167 where Auburn and King County Sheriff’s Office detectives searched for human remains last week.

Police finished the outdoor portion of their investigation on Saturday.

Now, they will focus on missing person reports to track down any jurisdictions with a report of a white woman under 30 years old with a partial root canal who disappeared within the last two years, said Auburn Police Commander Bob Karnofski.

Investigators began cutting out blackberry brambles and sifting through the undergrowth at the site last week after a Department of Transportation crew dredged up a human skull during routine maintenance.

Divers with King County Search and Rescue traversed about a half-mile up Mill Creek while investigators searched through the growth at the site.

In addition to the skull, police found two vertebrae, a pelvis and a tail bone. The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the remains as human. They also found items of clothing, including pants, shoes and socks, but Karnofski said police didn’t know if the clothing was related to the remains.

Police have followed some leads offered by community members, but they haven’t produced the woman’s identity or the circumstances surrounding how the remains ended up in the creek.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Auburn Police Department at (253) 931-3080 or the Medical Examiner’s Office number at (206) 223-3232.

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