NORTH COAST, Calif. – Human remains discovered near Fort Bragg last month have been identified as those of a businesswoman missing since last fall.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said the remains were those of 63-year-old Colleen Murphy of Fort Bragg.
The skeletal remains were discovered on Jan. 13 by a person who had been hiking near the California Pacific Railroad approximately two miles east of Fort Bragg, according to Lt. Greg VanPatten.
On Jan. 23, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Division identified the skeletal remains as Murphy, VanPatten said.
VanPatten said she had last been seen on Oct. 28. One of her employees reported her missing to the Fort Bragg Police Department on Nov. 1.
At the time of Murphy’s disappearance she was noted to be despondent for various reasons and no evidence of foul play was attributed to her disappearance during the missing person’s investigation, VanPatten said.
The results of the investigation conducted by sheriff's detectives were forwarded to the chief deputy coroner, VanPatten said.
Based upon the information collected during the investigation, VanPatten said the chief deputy coroner has classified Murphy's death as being a suicide as a result of a gunshot wound.
Murphy owned the Chapter and Moon restaurant on Noyo Harbor.