Police ask for public's help in identifying remains

Investigators have run out of leads and are asking the public for help in identifying the skeletal remains of a man found on a Somis ranch two months ago.

Police say the suspicious death of a man between the ages of 21 and 50, 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall and of mixed ancestry could be a homicide.

On March 13, workers clearing an illegal dump on Nichols Ranch in Somis discovered the man's skeletal remains, attached to an old piece of carpet, in a ravine.

Sheriff's deputies later recovered more bones from a trash dumpster at the site and the rest of the skeleton in a shallow, nearby grave.

The man's teeth were in excellent condition, free of cavities and dental work, and he wore brown pants with a 32-inch waist, investigators say.

Items in the pants pockets- a comb, house key and several U.S. coins, the most recent dated 1984- and the condition of the body suggest the body could have been on the Somis property since the mid-1980s, said Capt. Ross Bonfiglio of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

No missing person fits the dead man's description, and the case remains open, Bonfiglio said.

The medical examiner's office has not yet determined the cause of death. James Baroni, chief deputy medical examiner, said his office is still investigating and examining the skeleton for clues. He would not elaborate.

Anyone with information that can shed light on the man's identity or who knows of an adult male matching the man's description who has been missing for 15 years or more is asked to call (805) 477-7000.

- Michelle Knight