Skeletal remains of man, woman discovered on Ventura County trail
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - An investigation is underway in Ventura County after the skeletal remains of two people reported missing last year were discovered earlier this week.
What we know:
According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, a hiker discovered skeletonized human remains on the Sunrise/Autumn trail in Thousand Oaks on May 4.
The remains were identified by the medical examiner's office as 64-year-old Jose Luis Perez and 65-year-old Stephanie Elizabeth Perez, both from Simi Valley.
According to the coroner, both Jose and Stephanie died from gunshot wounds to the head. Officials ruled Jose's death as a suicide, and Stephanie's death as a homicide.
The couple had been reported missing since July 2024.
Authorities believe this is an isolated incident.
The investigation is ongoing.
What you can do:
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact Detective DeLaCerda at 805-384-4724. Ventura County Crime Stoppers offers a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and criminal complaint. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477).
The Source: Information for this story is from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.