FERNDALE, Wash. — The “potential human remains” previously reported to have been located in the riverbank of the Nooksack River in Ferndale on Monday, November 21st, have been confirmed to be human remains according to City of Ferndale Spokesperson Riley Sweeney.
In an email to Whatcom News, Sweeney said personnel from the Bellingham Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit and the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office removed the remains from the riverbank and they were released to the Medical Examiner’s Office for further analysis and possible identification.
Initial analysis indicated the remains had been in the riverbank for a least a decade according to Sweeney.
At this point in time the identity of the remains has not been confirmed. However, based on evidence gathered at the scene it appears that the remains may be related to a missing person case from the early 2000’s. City of Ferndale Spokesperson Riley Sweeney (November 22, 2022)