Human remains found in southern Washington identified

TOPPENISH — One of two sets of human remains found in southern Washington state last week has been identified as a 25-year-old California man who went missing last year.

The Yakima Herald reports Josiah Michael “Jo” Hilderbrand was identified through dental records, Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice said Thursday.

The remains were discovered Aug. 5 by a road crew working on U.S. Highway 97 south of Toppenish, Washington. Curtice said work continues to identify the second set of remains.

Hilderbrand’s death has been ruled a homicide, and the cause of death remains under investigation, Curtice said. The FBI is investigating the case.

“We are hopeful that justice will be served to the individual or individuals responsible for these tragic and senseless deaths,” Curtice said in a news release.

Hilderbrand, 25, and Jon Cleary, 47, went missing on June 7, 2019, as they were heading to a Dead & Company concert at the Gorge Amphitheater. The car they were traveling in, a 2004 Honda Civic hybrid, was found abandoned and partially burned in an orchard west of Toppenish.