Remains Of Child Found In Shallow Grave

Thu., March 30, 1995

From Staff And Wire Reports

Investigators worked Wednesday to identify the remains of a small child found in a grave in McLaughlin Canyon about five miles south of Tonasket.

Okanogan County Sheriff Jim Weed said Wednesday it was too soon to know whether the remains were those of 9-year-old Penny Davis, an Aeneas Valley girl who disappeared from her home on Sept. 17.

A search for the little girl turned up no clues. Detectives believe an adult may have had something to do with her disappearance, Weed said. He would not elaborate.

The body was found 12 to 13 miles by air from the Davis home.

Hikers on Sunday called authorities after finding a piece of a human jawbone in an area of mixed woods and sagebrush, the sheriff said. The site is near a gravel road.

Authorities found what appeared to be a shallow grave site and dug up human bones.

A King County medical examiner’s investigator was at the scene Wednesday, Weed said.

“We don’t want to lose any evidence at the site so we’re not rushing into this,” he said.

The remains will be flown to King County for further examination.

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