Sets Of Human Remains Found Off Palos Verdes Coast Identified

PALOS VERDES, CA — Several sets of human remains that washed ashore in Palos Verdes over the last few years have finally been identified, police announced Wednesday.

The first set of remains, a human femur, was found in January 2023. A human skull and bone washed ashore in November 2024, and then a human leg in December 2024.

On Thursday, the Palos Verdes Police Department announced each set of remains had been identified through DNA matching and that the victim's family members had been notified of the discovery.

“The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department remains committed to thorough investigations that help bring answers and closure to families affected by tragedy,” Palos Verdes Estates Police Department Chief Luke Hellinga said in a statement Wednesday. “While the circumstances surrounding each case are heartbreaking, we hope that these identifications provide a measure of peace to the loved ones who have endured uncertainty and loss.”

The human femur belonged to Mark Paulson, who was reported missing in January 2021, according to police.

Police say Paulson was sailing out from Redondo Beach when he reportedly started experiencing engine trouble. He was last heard from while expressing concern about being blown out to sea, according to police.

Although his boat was later found overturned, his body was not aboard, police said. If still alive today, he would've been 68, police said.

The human skull and bone were identified as Raymond Simeroth, a homeless man, who would have been 57 years old if still alive, police said.

Authorities, meanwhile, found that the human leg that washed ashore belonged to 62-year-old Zhaoliang Tang, one of two fishermen aboard a vessel reported missing out of San Pedro in December 2024.

On Christmas Day 2024, the fishermen's boat was found wrecked along the shoreline near the 1700 block of Paseo Del Mar, according to police. The two fishermen were not aboard, but Tang's leg washed ashore the following day, according to authorities.

No remains belonging to the other fisherman have washed up in Palos Verdes to this day, police said.

Given the circumstances of each person's death, no foul play is suspected, according to the PVEPD.