“Criminalists at DOJ labs throughout California assist numerous local law enforcement agencies with investigations such as this. These scientific professionals use the latest technology and techniques to identify individuals and conduct toxicology tests. We thank them for their public safety and criminal justice work.”
CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
Riverbank – On October 16, 2023, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) announced it is investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was recovered from the Stanislaus River.
On October, 15, 2023, at 11:32 p.m., deputies responded to the Stanislaus River in the 3900 block of Topeka Street in Riverbank for a person found deceased in the water. An emergency call for service was received from transients in the area who reported seeing what they believed to be a drowning victim.
The SCSO Dive Team, along with detectives with the Major Crimes Unit (MCU), also responded to the scene to help retrieve the remains and investigate the cause and manner of death. As of October 16th, there was no positive identification for the body recovered. The body was that of a middle-aged black male adult. SCSO has reason to believe the person had been recently treated at a local area hospital, as he was still wearing clothing typically worn by admitted patients. SCSO reports there were no obvious or apparent signs of trauma or injury to suspect foul play in the man’s death.
Preliminary findings of a forensic autopsy suggest drowning was the cause of death. Additional laboratory testing through the California Department of Justice will provide more insight.
