Skull and bones found near creek are Irvine man who disappeared in 2005, police say

A human skull and other bones found last month in a remote area of Irvine are the remains of a man who intentionally overdosed on painkillers more than a decade ago, police said Tuesday.

A Irvine city employee discovered the skull on Dec. 1 while checking an irrigation system in an isolated area near San Diego Creek and Laguna Canyon Road, according to police.

The skull, which had been hidden by brush, appeared to have been there many years, authorities said at the time. As they investigated, authorities also found other related human bones, police said.

On Tuesday, police announced that coroners officials had used dental records to identify the remains as Bobby Simpson, 32, an Irvine resident who disappeared in 2005.

In March 2005, “Simpson checked himself into a hospital on Sand Canyon Avenue after intentionally ingesting a lethal dose of painkillers,” police said in a Facebook post. “Before receiving treatment and being discharged, Simpson walked out of the hospital.”

Authorities searched the area at the time but couldn’t find Simpson.