Divers find leg attached to cinder block in search for missing woman
REDDING, Calif. -- Divers found a human leg attached to a cinder block and other body parts at a lake in Northern California, and authorities believe the remains may belong to a missing woman.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office received information from witnesses that directed them to the area where they discovered the remains, CBS affiliate KHSL reports. The body parts were found Friday and Saturday at a spot in Shasta County’s Whiskeytown Lake where witnesses said they saw Bridget Jacobs’ ex-husband the evening of March 19 -- the day before the 38-year-old woman was reported missing, the Redding Record Searchlight reported Sunday.
Officials said they believe Jacobs was dismembered.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Jackson said it doesn’t appear the body parts were separated because of natural decomposition. “We don’t know what type of tools or instruments were used at this time. That would be something for the coroner’s office to determine later next week,” Jackson said.
Jacobs’ ex-husband, 56-year-old Philip Jacobs, told deputies that his ex-wife’s death was an accident and that she died after charging at him and falling down stairs, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said. Philip Jacobs, who holds a nurse practitioner license, said he did not give her medical aid or call for assistance, authorities said. He also told detectives he kept his ex-wife’s body for four days at a home before dumping it in the lake.
Their marriage lasted eight months and ended Dec. 7. Both also had requested temporary restraining orders against each another, according to court records.
Philip Jacobs was arrested on March 28 and booked into Shasta County jail. He remains in jail on murder charges, KHSL reports. Jacobs is due in court for his continued arraignment on Monday, and his bail is set at $1,000,000.
Teams combed the lake using sonar equipment and a remotely-operated vehicle. Divers suspended their search over the weekend because of windy conditions and the lake’s poor water clarity.