SAN FRANCISCO – Human remains uncovered in Northern California with the help of a convicted serial killer have been preliminarily identified as one of his victims, and authorities continued to search another site for the remains of as many as 10 people.
Dental records identified the remains found Thursday in Calaveras County as those of Cyndi Vanderheiden, 25, San Joaquin sheriff’s spokesman Les Garcia said Saturday.
Authorities were still awaiting the results of a DNA analysis to confirm the identification, Garcia said.
Searchers following a map prepared by convicted serial killer and death row inmate Wesley Shermantine have so far uncovered two sets of remains near property once owned by Shermantine’s family about 60 miles south of Sacramento.
One set is believed to belong to Vanderheiden, who disappeared in 1998, and the other is believed to be Chevelle “Chevy” Wheeler, 16, who vanished in 1985.
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