Car Buried Since 1990s Unearthed In Silicon Valley, Triggering Search For Human Remains

ATHERTON, CA — The discovery of a vehicle buried at a Peninsula property – perhaps decades ago – triggered a search for human remains this week, Atherton police said in a news release.

Officers at around 8:50 a.m. Thursday responded to the 300 block of Stockbridge Avenue on the report that landscapers found a buried vehicle during a project, police said.

The vehicle was filled with bags of concrete and buried 4 to 5 feet deep, possibly in the 1990s, according to police.

No human remains had been detected as of Thursday night.

Excavation is ongoing, according to police.

“Due to the unknown nature of why the vehicle was buried, cadaver dogs were called to the scene,” police said.

“The cadaver dogs made a slight notification of possible human remains. The San Mateo Crime Lab was contacted and sent technicians to assist with excavating the vehicle.”

The vehicle was buried before the current homeowner moved in, police said.

“The motive and circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation,” police said.

The home is located in the shadow of Meta’s Menlo Park headquarters and in one of the nation’s wealthiest communities.

The property was built in 1990 and sold for $15 million in 2020 according to Zillow, The San Francisco Chronicle reports. It sold for $7.3 million in 2014.

Atherton, located about 30 miles south of San Francisco, is one of the nation's most wealthy towns and is home to some 7,000 residents, according to the Associated Press.

No additional information was immediately available.