Third human skull found in Gifford Pinchot National Forest since August
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Another skull discovered in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest has marked the third found in Skamania County since mid-August.
A search near McClellan Meadows on Saturday led Skamania County Sheriff’s Office to find the skull they believe could have belonged to 69-year-old John Hopkins of Seattle. According to deputies, Hopkins had been reported missing since November 2022.
Shortly after his disappearance, Hopkins’ rented vehicle was found parked in the McClellan Meadows Sno-Park parking lot. Then in 2023, hunters located belongings believed to be his about 1.5 miles northeast of that vehicle.
However, the remains found on Sept. 14 have yet to be formally identified and will require DNA testing, according to officials.
“The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office is so thankful for the selfless volunteers who searched on Saturday, finding what will likely bring closure to Hopkins’ family,” the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. “The Search and Rescue volunteers who serve our county are an incredible resource and we are so grateful for their service.”
The discovery comes shortly after two other skulls were separately found in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest — one in August and another in early September.
The first human skull was spotted by a hiker in Big Lava Bed on Aug. 10. Investigators said they believe the remains likely belonged to a hiker who has been missing since 2013.
According to SCSO, the hiker was last seen in the Big Lava Beds area and unable to be located despite “numerous coordinated search efforts.”
The second skull was reported by a bear hunter within the forest near the Sawtooth Berry Fields on Sept. 4. County detectives later recovered the skull, which they determined to be human.
“Identity of the remains is unknown and the case is under active investigation at this time,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The skull will be sent for forensic analysis in an attempt to make positive identification. There are no indicators to believe there is a public safety risk based on the circumstances of the discovery.”
These investigations remain ongoing.