The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office is reopening a 1988 cold case involving the death of Santa Barbara resident Mitchell “Buster” Garcia.
Garcia’s remains were found in the Big Caliente Hot Springs in the Los Padres National Forest in February 1988.
UCSB anthropology professor Phillip Walker and a team of forensic experts from Southern California helped identify Garcia’s remains at the time, according to a report from the News-Press in 1989.
The examination determined Garcia’s death involved foul play, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
“Given the time that has passed, detectives are reaching out to the public to identify anyone who may have information about Garcia, his activities at the time, or the circumstances surrounding his death,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office asked the public to contact its Criminal Investigations Bureau at 805-681-4150 with information on Garcia’s death. People can send an anonymous tip to the Sheriff’s Office at 805-681-4171.
