Skeletal human remains of hiker found in national park; man last seen 9 months ago

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — The skeletal remains of a man who was last seen in April 2023 were found in late January near a hiking trail in California, according to National Park Service officials.

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Officials said that shortly after noon on Jan. 25, staff members at Joshua Tree National Park found human skeletal remains near a trail in the Black Rock area. The remains were found because park researchers found a backpack. The backpack was last confirmed to belong to Trammell Evans.

The remains have since been identified as belonging to Evans, KTTV reported.

Evans was dropped off at the Black Rock Campground on April 30, 2023, the park service said, according to CNN. Evans was supposed to be picked up on May 5 but was reported missing.

He had planned to hike from the Black Rock area to the Geology Tour Road. He was then going to return to Black Rock through the California Riding and Hiking Trail, the park said.

Joshua Tree National Park officials began a search and rescue for Evans on May 5, 2023, KTTV reported.

Joshua Tree National Park, Joshua Tree Search and Rescue (JOSAR), Bureau of Land Management, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, and California Highway Patrol Helicopter assisted the park staff with the search, the park said.

A cause of death has not been released, according to KTTV.

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