Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives are working with the FBI to pursue new leads in a nearly four-decade-old murder case, including plans to interview a person of interest believed to be in Mexico.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that investigators are continuing to reexamine the 1988 killing of Mitchell “Buster” Garcia, whose skeletal remains were discovered in the Caliente Hot Springs area of Los Padres National Forest on Feb. 10, 1988.
Garcia was 23 years old when his remains were found. An examination determined that he had died from gunshot wounds, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
His identity was initially unknown. Investigators used an anthropological examination to determine his physical characteristics and created a facial reconstruction from his skull. After identifying Garcia as a possible match, detectives compared his dental records with the remains and confirmed his identity…