Human Remains Found Near Five Island on Willamette River

"At this time we have no missing persons from Yamhill County who fit the description that we have been given." - Yamhill Sheriff Jack Crabtree

The Willamette River north of Salem Photo by Tim King Salem-News.com

(MCMINNVILLE, Ore.) - Two local duck hunters and their dog located a human leg early this morning near the "Five Island" area on the Willamette River, according to Yamhill County Sheriff Jack Crabtree. He says the location where the leg was found is about 10 miles upriver or south, of Rogers Landing in the City of Newberg, and about 10 miles downriver or north, from the Wheatland Ferry area north of Salem.

“The remains were examined by the Oregon State Medical Examiners Office,” Crabtree said. “The leg was determined to be that of a female, of advanced age, 5'4" to 5'7" in height; and included the right pelvic bone, femoral bone, knee area, tibia and fibula bones.”

Crabtree says no clothing was recovered with the remains. DNA sampling has been done and will be forwarded to the University of North Texas for analysis.

“Due to the amount of water flowing in the Willamette River, it is not uncommon for us to find remains that have floated downstream from Polk, Marion, Lane or even Linn counties,” Sheriff Crabtree said.

“At this time we have no missing persons from Yamhill County who fit the description that we have been given. We are working closely with adjoining counties, and have leads that we are actively investigating.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Todd Whitlow at the Yamhill County Sheriffs Office. 503-434-7506.