TRAIL - A man walking in a wooded area this week came across a vehicle reported stolen nearly 27 years ago. Initial reports that human remains were found with the wreckage were unfounded.
On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, at 2:39 p.m., a man called dispatch to report finding an overturned vehicle down a steep embankment. The man happened upon the 1979 Porsche 924 coupe while following his dog off Abbott Prairie Road (National Forest Road 6620), approximately 1.5 miles north of the intersection with Elk Creek Road. The position of the vehicle at the base of a cliff made it nearly impossible to see from the road above.
On Wednesday, November 29, detectives checked the wreckage and found no human remains in or around the vehicle. Some bones on the ground nearby were determined to belong to a deer.
Heavy forest debris indicated the vehicle had been there for a significant period of time. The registration tags expired in 1991. Further investigation found the Porsche was reported stolen on January 20, 1991, from the parking lot of the Southside Cinema in Medford (MPD Case #91-1666).
The vehicle's location on steep, rugged terrain presents logistical and environmental concerns for removal. Sheriff's Office officials are working to determine the best course of action.
Case #17-24902