Remains of Southland Couple Found 30 Years After Crash
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STAFFORD, Calif. — Nearly three decades after a Thousand Oaks couple were killed when their small plane crashed in Northern California, authorities believe they have recovered the remains.
Humboldt County coroner Frank Jager said a logging crew discovered the partial skeletal remains Sept. 2, near where Norman and Beverly Wascher’s private plane went down June 19, 1977.
Jager said he still needed to confirm the identities through dental records, but authorities believe that the remains belong to the Waschers based on personal items found near the bones.
The find could finally bring closure to a mystery that has taken decades to unfold.
The Waschers’ plane was reported missing shortly after takeoff from Murray Field, north of Eureka. The couple were returning to Santa Barbara after visiting one of their three daughters at Humboldt State University, officials said.
Authorities were unable to find the crash site for years, until a logging crew happened upon the wreckage in 1996. Even then, they couldn’t locate any human remains in the densely wooded area. The remains found last week were about 300 to 400 yards from the wreckage.
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