A seven-year-old missing persons out of Chico has been solved.
Today, family and friends of Heidi Joanne Ring got the sad news that the remains found in late July along the banks of the Sacramento River in Glenn County were the remains of Ring.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office today said it received confirmation on Ring's remains from the State Department of Justice crime lab in Richmond. Last July, a Glenn County Public Works work crew discovered a human skull on the outer edge of a large pile of brush and tree trimmings being burned at the Ord Bend Park near the Sacramento River. The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office sealed off the area and, for a time, closed access to the park. During the next 48 hour period, the area was processed and the tedious task of sifting through the earth was commenced, removing many bones and other evidence, such as jewelry. Forensic experts determined early on the remains were that of a Caucasian female, between the ages of 35 to 45 years of age.
Seven years prior, Ring, who was 37 at the time, was last seen at a Chico motel on Manzanita Ct. Her cell phone was left at the motel.
Since the discovery of the skeletal remains, detectives of the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit have been working in an effort to identify them. Glenn County Detective Greg Felton, accompanied by Sergeant Rob Merrifield of the Chico Police Department, traveled to Cottonwood, California this afternoon and at approximately 4:00 p.m. notified Gretchen Ring, the mother of Heidi, of the results of the DNA testing.
No cause of death has been determined in this case and it is unknown how, or when, Ring’s remains came to be at the Ord Bend Park.
Sheriff Larry Jones said, “It is a sad detail to inform a parent of the loss of their child; and when that child has been missing for years, knowing parent(s) and relatives are holding out hope their loved one will be located alive, the task is much more difficult. However, there can be some relief and solace in knowing the loved one has been accounted for. Though the trail is very cold, law enforcement must do its best effort in attempting to find out what happened to Heidi Ring, and hopefully bring anyone responsible for her death to justice. The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office and the Chico Police Department will work together towards that end.”
The investigation continues. Anyone with information regarding the case of Heidi Ring is encouraged to contact the Chico P.D. or the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office.
