Dalene Carlson's Death Officially Ruled A Homicide
STOCKTON (CBS13) — The death of a Stockton woman who had been missing for more than two months and whose remains were found over the weekend has officially been ruled a homicide.
Officials at the San Joaquin County Morgue released a statement today saying that 23-year-old Dalene Carlson was killed. However, they are not releasing the exact cause of her death. Police also aren't releasing details of her death, citing the ongoing investigation to find her killer.
"There are certain intimate things in this tragedy only known to Dalene and the person or persons responsible for what they did," said Officer Pete Smith of the Stockton Police Department.
Carlson's remains were discovered near Lone Tree Road and Sexton Road in rural San Joaquin County, a few miles outside of Escalon, on Saturday. Stockton police confirmed the remains were Carlson's on Monday.
Carlson was last spotted at a Stockton bar and supermarket Aug. 7.
Security cameras captured Carlson at a grocery store with Jason Gilley. Later that night video surveillance at a south county gas station showed Gilley, but this time, Carlson wasn't on the tape.
Conflicting stories landed him behind bars, but a lack of evidence forced prosecutors to drop charges. Police say he remains of of at least three people under investigation in connection to Carlson's disappearance.
"Anybody included in the investigation as a person of interest has not been excluded in this investigation," Smith said.
