Excavation Continues Thursday on Human Body Found Buried in Novato Backyard

As intermittent rain started to fall Thursday afternoon, investigators carefully removed about four feet of dirt that had been piled on top of a human body found in a Novato backyard Wednesday evening, police said.

The body, found at the home of a man who was reported missing Feb. 9, is to be exhumed and taken to the Marin County Sheriff/Coroner’s office where technicians will work on determining the identity of the remains and cause of death, said Novato police Lt. John McCarthy said.

“It’s going to be a slow and tedious process,” Novato police Captain Jim Berg said of the exhumation and investigation. “The body is fairly deep, so they’re taking their time.”

The body was found at the home of Dale and Evelyn Smith at 4 Rebecca Way, off Olive Avenue on Novato’s east side. A neighbor contacted police earlier this month to ask for a welfare check on Dale Smith, a 74-year-old retired carpenter who had not been seen in the neighborhood for several months.

Police received permission from Evelyn Smith and her attorney on Feb. 9 to enter the premises and start an investigation. Police obtained a search warrant but had yet to serve it to Evelyn Smith as of Thursday morning, Berg said.

Berg said he could not release information about Dale Smith’s state of health, although neighbors said he was suffering from esophageal cancer and other ailments.

Evelyn Smith has not been interviewed since police first went to the house on Feb. 9, Berg said. She is “a person of interest” in the investigation and has retained an attorney. Berg said he did not know the whereabouts of Evelyn Smith on Thursday.

The body was found at 8:10 p.m. Wednesday and investigators decided to return Thursday to exhume it, Berg said.

Several television crews and other media were at the house watching a crew from the FBI unpack gear and head into the backyard to do their work. Neighbors said they have been asked by police not to let any media shoot photos or video over their fences while the work is being done.