UPDATE: (Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, 5:15 p.m)—The Kern County Coroner’s office has confirmed that the identity of the body of the man found in Cuddy Creek near Frazier Mountain Park Road and Monterey Trail at 9:55 a.m. this morning is that of Jukka Hellsten, 42 who had lived in Frazier Park for about a year, according to his sister.

Mari Hellsten said a missing person report had been filed with the Kern County Sheriff’s substation by her brother’s girlfriend Alyce Coleman several days after his disappearance. He is said to have left his home between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. His sister (who lives in Marina del Rey and was in this area searching for Hellsten this weekend), said he left the house that night "with $6 and a cell phone in his pocket."

The coroner’s report says there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. to determine the cause of death. Hellsten was positively identified by fingerprints and his family has been notifed of his death.

UPDATE: (Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, 3 p.m.)—Investigators say one male juvenile and one male adult were walking along the north bank of Cuddy Creek this morning, just before 10 a.m. and saw a body down in the creek within thick brush, near 3604 Arroyo Trail. The two reported their discovery to the Kern County Sheriff’s station just 100 yards away, at 9:55 a.m.

Sheriff’s Homicide Detective Sgt. Craig Rennie, told The Mountain Enterprise he is not sure whether the case is one of homicide or accidental death. "There appears to be some type of trauma but we do not know the cause," Rennie said. He said it could be from falling or could be from something else. The man appears to be 30 to 40 years of age. Sgt. Rennie would not say anything about the position of the body or other specifics about the crime scene.

A man named Fin Jukka Hellsten has been missing since October 24. Sgt. Rennie said there had been a report indicating that someone may have seen Hellsten in the last day or two, but said this report is unconfirmed. Rennie said the body did not appear to have been in its location more than a day or two.

Rumors about Hellsten having been involved in a fight the weekend that he disappeared are unconfirmed. Bonnie McCloskey called the newspaper and said she had heard a gunshot on Friday, Oct. 30 about 1 p.m. or 2 p.m., near her house on Arroyo Trail. "It shook my house and scared my dog," McCloskey said.

Hellsten’s friends and family at the scene were extremely distraught and seemed to believe their missing loved one had been found.

FRAZIER PARK, CA (Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, 12:22 p.m.) —Two teenagers found the body of a man in Cuddy Creek before 10 a.m. this morning At 12:05 p.m. the Kern County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that homicide detectives are on scene of a deceased male in a creek at 3604 Arroyo Trail in Frazier Park.

This is part of the October 30, 2009 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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