The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office has identified a body found burning near a reservoir west of Morgan Hill on Aug. 28 as that of 35-year-old Julie Calocci of San Jose.
The office is not releasing anything further about the suspected homicide, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup announced Thursday. Investigators say her body was set on fire and left along the roadside in an attempt to destroy evidence.
At 8:11 a.m. August 28, deputies received an emergency call from a witness who reported seeing flames coming from a body 20 to 30 feet off of Oak Glen Avenue near the Chesbro Reservoir, deputies said. A motorist in the area of Oak Glen reported noticing smoke and at first thought it might have been a grass fire but after pulling over saw the burning body on an embankment off of the roadway, deputies said.
The victim was so badly charred that authorities were unable to immediately establish the gender of the person, according to deputies.
Investigators received conflicting reports about suspicious vehicles near the scene and the office is still seeking to locate witnesses, deputies said.
The sheriff's department was up front about its reason for revealing the identity of the victim: to find whoever is responsible for her death.
The office is asking anyone who may have seen a vehicle in that area outside of Morgan Hill or who has any information about the case to notify sheriff's dispatch at (408) 299-3233.
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Family and friends have launched a GoFundMe site in hopes of raising money for funeral services.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
