Update: Recent Information revealed that he had died due to blunt force trauma to the head. His cousin commented on this tragedy to Henry Lee from KTVU: "I think that he deserves justice for what happened to him," and is asking for witnesses to contact the University of California Police Department with any information related to the case.

In a shocking revelation, a human skeleton discovered beneath an abandoned UC Berkeley building in 2021 has been identified as Steven Lawrence McCreary, a victim of homicide whose last known contact with his family was in 2009. The University of California Police Department (UCPD) announced the findings today. According to Berkeley Scanner, McCreary, who was born on October 8th, 1972, was not affiliated with UC Berkley and was known to be a traveler from Texas with no permanent residence in the area.

Forensic evidence suggests that McCreary's death had occurred many years prior to the discovery of his skeleton. His remains were found in an unused building on the university's Clark Kerr Campus in June 2021, hidden beneath a pile of disintegrating furniture. 

In the initial aftermath of this shocking discovery, there was little information available to the public. The withheld information, now shared by UCPD, was due to the need for identifying the remains, contacting the next of kin, and protecting the integrity of the ongoing homicide investigation. As Henry Lee of KTVU shared on July 18, 2023, the police are treating McCreary's case as a homicide and searching for further information about the circumstances surrounding his death.

 

Skeleton found at @UCBerkeley Clark Kerr Campus ID’d as Steven Lawrence McCreary, per @UCPD_Cal, investigating his death as a homicide. McCreary, who was not affiliated w/university was last seen in 2009, when he was about 37 pic.twitter.com/wiKgBhG2xI

— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) July 19, 2023

 

Unsettlingly, it took nearly two years for the news of the skeletal remains to be officially reported and announced. Contractors working at the site in June 2021 had immediately informed a UC Berkeley facilities director about their grim discovery. However, the director failed to share the information with proper authorities, prompting the contractors to take matters into their own hands and contact the UC Berkeley police in January 2023.

The prolonged silence in this case raises questions regarding the handling of such sensitive information, especially regarded a potential homicide. UC Berkeley has since confirmed that the facilities director in question no longer worked for the university since May 2023, although the circumstances of his departure have not been elaborated upon. They also added that the former director is not considered a person of interest in McCreary's case.

With the identification of McCreary now public, authorities are urging community members to come forward with any information regarding his interactions, travels, or acquaintances during his time in the San Francisco Bay Area. UCPD's appeal includes contact details for Detective Sgt. Jon Caires and Detective Mitch Levi who are heading up the investigation into McCreary's untimely demise.