Cold Case Reopened After 1988 Remains Identified as Mitchell ‘Buster’ Garcia; Death Under Investigation as a Homicide

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – The remains of a man found in the mountains north of Santa Barbara in February of 1988 have been identified as Mitchell 'Buster' Garcia and his death is currently under investigation as a homicide.

On Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office turned to the public for help in its cold case investigation.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Sheriff's Investigations Bureau at 805-681-4150 or you can share information while remaining anonymous by calling the Sheriff's Office anonymous tip line at 805-681-4171 or through email at tips@sbsheriff.org.

At the time of his disappearance, Garcia was a resident of the City of Santa Barbara and an anthropological examination revealed that foul play was involved in his death explained the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies are sharing the images of Garcia in this article with the public in hopes that someone will have more information about him, his activities before his disappearance, and the circumstances around his death.