Skeletal remains found in Oregon belong to missing former Northern California man

Authorities in Oregon identified the skeletal remains found near a hiking trail last week as belonging to a former Northern California man who was reported missing in June 2020.

A man walking his dog on the evening of Jan. 10 near Roxy Ann Peak trail found the remains of Armando Leigh Soto, 33, originally from Yuba City, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday in an updated news release. Soto lived in the Medford, Oregon area since 2015 before he was reported missing.

The morning after the discovery, sheriff’s detectives recovered the remains with help from a search and rescue team with human remains detection dogs.

Sheriff’s officials said authorities positively identified the skeletal remains with a physical examination and comparison to 2019 dental records obtained from the Oregon State Hospital.

An Oregon State Police forensic pathologist performed an autopsy on Tuesday. Sheriff’s officials said the autopsy did not reveal any evidence of injury or trauma in Soto’s death, but the cause and manner of his death remain listed as “undetermined” due to the advanced decomposition of his remains.

There were no indications of suspicious circumstances in Soto’s death, according to the Sheriff’s Office.