Latest news with #Hyampom
CBS News
20-06-2025
- CBS News
California summer camp staff member attacked by mountain lion
A summer camp staff member was injured after they were attacked by a mountain lion in Northern California last weekend, officials said. In a joint news release on Thursday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Trinity County Sheriff's Office said the staff member was attacked on Saturday afternoon at a summer camp east of Hyampom, California. The staff member sustained minor injuries and the lion took off. While searching the property to ensure the animal left the area, the property owner came across a mountain lion. Officials said, fearing for his life, the property owner euthanized the animal. No details surrounding how the animal was euthanized were released. The CDFW collected the mountain lion carcass for DNA testing, which later confirmed that the mountain lion euthanized was not the one responsible for the attack. A search is now underway for the mountain lion in the attack. Officials said mountain lions pose little threat to humans, saying a person is 1,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a mountain lion. People who come across mountain lions should never approach them, stay calm, face the animal, make loud noises and try to look bigger; never crouch down or bend over, put small children on their shoulders and keep pets leashed. Hyampom is located about 245 miles northwest of Sacramento and about 85 miles west of Redding.
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Skull found on California beach three decades ago connected to missing teacher
A human skull discovered on a California beach in 1993 has been identified as belonging to a beloved schoolteacher who vanished without a trace in 1987. The decades-old case breakthrough came after advanced DNA testing matched the skull to 48-year-old Kay Josephine Medin through a sample provided by her daughter. The identification was made possible by the forensic genealogy firm Othram, which specializes in solving cold cases using DNA analysis, KRCR reported. 'This week, Josephine Medin's loved ones got the answers they've needed for 32 years since her disappearance. I hope this discovery helps them find peace and closure,' US Representative Jared Huffman wrote on X. Medin, a teacher at Hyampom School, was last seen on August 3, 1987, when her husband, Nickolas Medin, returned home from a work trip to find her missing. Her purse and other 'personal property' were found at the residence, suggesting she had intended to return. However, despite extensive searches by local volunteers in the rugged terrain surrounding their home, there was no sign of the missing schoolteacher. Several months later, in November 1987, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) received an anonymous package containing some of Medin's skeletal remains. The package also included an anonymous letter directing investigators to additional remains near Ammon Ridge Road in eastern Humboldt County - about 45 miles from her home. In February of 1993, the Fortuna Police Department contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office to report the discovery of a woman's partial human skull found on the beach near Trinidad Head - about 100 miles from Medin's home. Pictured: Trinidad Beach in Humboldt County, California The remains were positively identified through dental records, but the cause of her death remained undetermined and no suspects were arrested. A death certificate was later issued for Medin in 1988, however, she remained listed as a missing person as there was not a complete body recovery. Years later, in February of 1993, the Fortuna Police Department contacted the HCSO to report the discovery of a woman's partial human skull found on the beach near Trinidad Head - about 100 miles from Medin's home. The mysterious skull however remained unidentified until recent DNA testing confirmed its identity. The circumstances of how the beloved teacher's remains were dispersed over such a wide area remain unclear, and her death has since been considered a homicide. Authorities have stated that Medin's husband, who reported her missing, is not considered a suspect, as he died in 2018. The case was only reopened after Huffman secured federal funding to help clear a backlog of unidentified remains cases. Using these funds, the HCSO submitted the mysterious skull to Othram's lab in The Woodlands, Texas, to determine if DNA testing could yield new information. Several months later, Othram provided investigators with new leads, including the possible identity of the skull's owner. The discovery led to a follow-up investigation and the identification of a potential relative. The California Department of Justice compared the relative's DNA to the profile developed from the skull, confirming it belonged to Kay Josephine Medin - also known as Kay Adams at the time she was reported missing in 1987, according to Investigators continue to seek answers in the hopes of uncovering the truth behind Medin's disappearance and death. Anyone with information is urged to contact Humboldt County Investigator Mike Fridley at 707-441-3024.
