Crime & Safety
Human Remains ID'd From Ballona Wetlands
Authorities Friday identified the human remains found at the Ballona Wetlands.
PLAYA DEL REY, CA — Human remains found in a search last week at the Ballona Wetlands were identified as missing 32-year-old Venice woman Kolby Story, authorities announced Friday.
The Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed the remains were those of Story, who was last seen Dec. 7, 2020, in the 12300 block of Pacific Avenue in Mar Vista.
Authorities and Story's family searched last week for signs of her and discovered skeletal remains while combing a 600-acre area of the Ballona Wetlands and Ballona Creek near Marina del Rey. The search started about 10:30 a.m. after some of Story's personal items were discovered.
Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"There were reports that police initially responded to a call that a woman was being held against her will in a tunnel near the beach during a clearing of homeless encampments on Venice Boardwalk that morning, but when police arrived, there was no woman," NBC News reported.
It's still unclear what happened to Story.
Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Story was at Venice Beach on Dec. 6 during the afternoon near the skate park with her boyfriend and another friend. They returned to her home in Mar Vista by 7 p.m. She grabbed her sleeping bag, a backpack and a ukelele about 8:30 p.m. and told her roommate she was returning to the beach to hang out. She told her father the same thing on the phone. Story called a friend about 10:30 p.m. to ask for help because she lost her keys at the beach.
Her brother, Josh Story, told Patch that her car was later found in the Marina del Rey police impound lot. It had a flat tire and was towed from a parking lot across from a Ralphs grocery store in Marina del Rey.
The investigation is ongoing.
Authorities urged anyone with information about Story to contact the Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division, at 213-486-6890. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.
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