Officials say they may have recovered the body of one of three children still missing from a fatal car crash on the coast that killed at least five members of a family last month.
Authorities have been searching for almost two weeks along the Mendocino coastline for the bodies of Devonte, Hannah and Sierra Hart.
Their parents, Sarah and Jennifer Hart, along with three of their siblings, died last month when the family's car went over a cliff on Highway 1, near Westport. Officials believe the wreck may have been intentional, following a recent child welfare investigation in Washington State. They have not been able to say whether the three missing children were in the car at the time of the crash.
The Mendocino Sheriff's department said the body found Saturday afternoon appears to be that of an African-American female, which fits the description of both of the missing Hart girls. But officials could not immediately determine the age or identity of the remains. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
From the Mendocino County Sheriff's Press Release today:
“The recovered body appears to be that of an African American Female but the age and a positive identity could not be determined. An autopsy will be conducted on Tuesday and the cause of death is unknown. The Sheriff's Office is investigating the possibility that the body may be one of the two missing Hart girls but identification will most likely be done through DNA analysis, a process that can take several weeks.”