NEVADA CITY, Calif. — Human remains were found during a homicide investigation at a remote property near Nevada City on Saturday.
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, detectives received a tip on June 17 that a possible homicide occurred on a property in the 26000 block of North Bloomfield Road, located deep within the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.
During their investigation, detectives obtained a search warrant for the property and got an arrest warrant for a possible suspect, identified as 57-year-old Russell H. Rippetoe of Barstow, Calif.
Investigators with both the Nevada County and Placer County sheriff’s offices went out to the property to execute the search warrant around 7:30 p.m. on June 17. There deputies arrested Rippetoe without incident. He was taken to the Nevada County Jail on a homicide complaint.
While searching the property, detectives uncovered the remains buried somewhere on the property. A forensic recovery team from Chico State carefully removed the remains on Sunday and transported them to the Placer County morgue for autopsy. The identity of the victim and cause of death have not yet been determined.
This case remains under investigation. No other details have been released.
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