16h 45min, oct 8, 1978 y - Hinkley John Doe Body found

Description:

At roughly 4:45pm on Sunday, October 8, 1978, a man from Boron, Kern County, CA was searching in the high desert two miles west of Kramer Junction, San Bernardino County, CA — located at the intersection of Highways 58 and 395 — for a part of his camper that he had lost earlier in the day when he discovered human remains half-buried in sand.
The man first notified Kern County authorities, who then reported the discovery to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department shortly before 5:00pm, as the corpse was found about 2.5 mi east of the Kern County line.


Proposed by: me
Reasons proposed: Demographics, general time period, SoCal; proximity to highway, near Edwards AFB (Kraft especially preyed on young men in the military)

Reasons against: Possibility of foul play uncertain, county, distance from confirmed dump sites, found half-buried (though possibly a result of weather &/or animal interference)


CA Cold Cases write-up, with all sources: https://cacoldcases.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-death-of-hinkley-john-doe-october.html

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