Hiker stumbles on human skull in iconic desert as mystery grows and detectives open homicide probe

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. A grisly discovery in a remote Southern California desert has sparked a homicide investigation after a hiker stumbled upon a human skull. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responded around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday to a rugged area near Adobe Road and Baseline Road in Twentynine Palms after the remains were reported. Authorities said the skull appears to be an adult's and had likely been exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. POLICE INVESTIGATING AFTER HIKER FINDS BADLY DECOMPOSED BODY HUNDREDS OF YARDS DOWN CALIFORNIA CLIFFSIDE Joshua trees and towering rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park near Twentynine Palms, Calif., where authorities are investigating the discovery of a human skull. (Shutterstock) The Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Detail