The mystery of the dismembered head learned last Tuesday on a well loved Hollywood hiking trail, followed soon after by a pair of severed hands and feet, has turned a normally unflinching town obsessed. Police have now revealed the victim's identity; force their questioning of area resident Brad Pitt led them to this major break in the case? Probably not, but it's fun to imagine it did.
Coroner's officials revealed on Friday that the victim is 66-year ancient Hervey Medellin (pictured), the LA Era reports, identified via fingerprints taken from one of the hands. Medellin was a retired employee of Mexicana Airlines who lived in a Hollywood apartment not far from Bronson Canyon Park, the wooded, hilly trail where a dog retrieved the plastic bag containing Medellin's head and brought it to his owner. The hands and feet were learned in the following days, after a fantastic search of the area by 120 police and firefighters. The feeling was that the body parts, all in excellent condition, were from a "fresh kill" that occurred somewhere else, and were dumped in Bronson Canyon just days previous to the discovery.
Police are being tight-lipped, but have acknowledged that one search warrant was served in Hollywood Friday night, though they wouldn't confirm if it was to Medellin's apartment. KTLA reports at least one resident in the building was questioned, but, and that a silver Honda was towed from the apartment on Thursday evening.