SAN DIEGO — A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff/Coroner’s office has confirmed a report that the remains of a missing woman, Fang Jin, were found last month in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Jin, 47, and her companion, John Fitzpatrick, 52, had been missing since late July from Morongo Valley in San Bernardino County where Fitzpatrick lived.
“The Fang Jin missing person case in SB County was closed after San Diego investigators informed us that she had been located deceased in SD County. We only confirmed that our investigators had received the information and closed our missing person case for her. We did not confirm, nor suggest, that our Coroner’s Office was involved,” San Bernardino County Sheriff’s spokesperson Gloria Huerta emailed CBS 8 on Friday.
On September 4, Fitzpatrick’s 4WD Toyota Tacoma truck was found abandoned in the Harper Flat area of Anza-Borrego, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
The vehicle had multiple flat tires, CBS 8 reported. The exact location of the truck had not been released to the public.
On September 17, a hiker found skeletal remains believed to be Fitzpatrick’s in Harper Canyon, several miles away from the truck.
On October 28, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department search and rescue team located Fin’s remains in the general area of the Harper Canyon trailhead. San Diego County Sheriff had previously confirmed Fitzpatrick’s body was found and that Jin’s remains “were located in the general vicinity of Mr. Fitzpatrick's.”
The San Diego County Medical Examiner still has not officially confirmed the identification of either set of remains. Both autopsies remain sealed at the request of San Diego Sheriff investigators due to an ongoing investigation.
In response to the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office release of information about Jin’s remains being found, San Diego County Sheriff’s Media Director David LaDieu wrote, “I cannot confirm what another county's Coroner's Office is releasing. At this time there is no additional information available for release from the San Diego Sheriff's Office.”
Fitzpatrick was a former Navy SEAL, who met Jin online and formed a relationship with her. Jin flew from her home in China to Los Angeles to meet up with Fitzpatrick on July 14.