Missing Biggs man's remains found
OROVILLE – The suspicious disappearance of a Biggs man six years ago came to an end this week when his skeletal remains were found under heavy brush south of Oroville.
It's a case the Butte County Sheriff's Office has pursued since Oct. 11, 2006, when then-22-year-old Ronald Earl Bonner Jr. was reported missing.
The discovery of Bonner's remains only adds to the questions.
Workers on Monday clearing brush for fire safety behind Mooretown Rancheria housing and adjacent Feather Falls Casino found the bones and reported the discovery to the Sheriff's Office.
Deputies who responded to the area confirmed the bones were human and called in detectives, who processed the scene and the surrounding area.
Bonner was identified Wednesday through dental records.
Now, investigators are trying to find out how and when he died.
Sheriff's investigator Sgt. Jason Hail confirmed in a phone interview Thursday that Bonner's disappearance was considered suspicious from the start, but could not discuss details.
Bonner was last seen leaving his home on Third Street in Biggs around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 20, 2006.
Hail said that after three weeks when no one was able to get a hold of the young man, Bonner's mother became concerned and reported him missing to the Sheriff's Office.
One reason for the delay was that it was not a big a deal for Bonner to be gone a while without anyone hearing from him, the detective said.
Although he would not go into why the disappearance was considered suspicious, Hail did say that Bonner "was not suicidal and had every reason to want to stay around."
Hail said they are not sure how long the remains were in the location they were found, but a forensic anthropologist did tell the sergeant the bones may have been there between five and 10 years.
Forensic anthropologists are examining the bones to find answers to some of the questions.
The Sheriff's Office is not releasing a cause of death, and Hail said he could not comment on how or where Bonner died.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Sheriff's Office or Detective Jay Freeman at 538-7671.
