Body found in mountains above Palm Springs

[AlanK]

April 15, 2008
Remains give hiker's family hope of closure
Colin Atagi
The Desert Sun

It's been more than seven years since Joshua Best disappeared while hiking near the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, and family members had been doing their best to move on.

But then something happened that re-sparked a sense of hope in their minds.

Human remains were discovered April 6 near a San Jacinto Mountain trail in an area that not only leads to the tram, but also isn't far from Best's Palm Springs home, said his sister, Lisa Best of San Diego. "If it is him, God, let us collect what's left and move on."

Best, 35, was last seen in September 2000 when he went for a hike in the mountains.

It's a mystery that left a mother, three sisters and two nieces cycling through many emotions over the years.

Rescue crews from a number of agencies searched for weeks and found Joshua Best's wallet at the tram and his car in its parking lot.

Lisa Best wondered if her brother decided to leave his car and walk home.

"We're all speculating at this point. Who knows what happened there?" she said.

"All I know is a body was found in the vicinity he was known to hike in and all I know is the coroner doesn't know at this point if this is a boy or girl," she said.

Lt. Cynthia Wait of the Riverside County Coroner's Office could not confirm an anthropologist's findings Monday.

The agency requested dental records to help identify the remains.

Once records are provided, it could take "hours" to determine if they match, Wait said.

Even if the remains don't turn out to be Joshua Best's, his sister would like someone to have closure over a lost family member.

"I just don't want these bones to end up in a 'John Doe' pile," Lisa Best said. "Anybody who's got a missing person - it is not a good club to be a part of."

Colin Atagi is a reporter for The Desert Sun. He can be reached at Colin.Atagi@thedesertsun.com or at 778-4645.

[Perry]

If his wallet and footprints were found near leatherneck ridge (that's windy ridge, right?), it does seem odd that the dogs would be attracted to Long Valley and his body recovered near the museum.

[HikeUp]

If his wallet and footprints were found near leatherneck ridge (that's windy ridge, right?), it does seem odd that the dogs would be attracted to Long Valley and his body recovered near the museum.

And undergone a sex change. Marknhj's post says it was a female body.

[tinaballina]

Does anyone know what this person died from?

[halhiker]

ACTUALLY, the body was identified today and was that of a MAN.

http://mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080416/NEWS01/80416032

[Marknhj]

ACTUALLY, the body was identified today and was that of a MAN.

http://mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080416/NEWS01/80416032

I just heard this on the news too, a 31yo guy from El Centro. Very odd that yesterday the coroner reported the remains were of a 33-55yo woman and within 24hrs they've identified them as a younger guy

No word on the cause of death...