Joseph Taylor (Butte County District Attorney's Office).
A California man is behind bars after a burned human skull and other remains were found on his property, police in The Golden State say.
Joseph Dexter Taylor, 52, stands accused of one count each of murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon, as well as two counts of arson, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.
The underlying incident occurred at a residence on Ricky Road in the rural Hurleton area east of Oroville – a small city located some 70 miles due north of Sacramento – and is believed to have taken the life of 33-year-old Chris Kidwell.
On March 21, two people called 911 to report the discovery of "what they believed to be a human skull and other skeletal remains" at the residence in question, according to a press release issued by the Butte County District Attorney's Office.
"The two men said Taylor arrived at their home in the early morning hours of March 20, appearing agitated and talking about a cremation," the press release reads. "They noted that Taylor had burn marks on his legs."
The defendant was charged later that same day, according to the sheriff's office.
Evidence from the ensuing investigation led law enforcement to believe the remains belonged to Kidwell, a man who had been living on Taylor's property since sometime in late 2025, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
A confirmation of the identification is forthcoming, authorities said, pending a DNA analysis. Kidwell's family previously contacted the sheriff's office on March 20, after unsuccessfully attempting to contact him for about a week, according to the DA's office.
"Evidence from the investigation indicates Kidwell was shot before Taylor burned his body," the DA's press release goes on.
The sheriff's office took stock of the investigation in their own press release, relaying the order of events after the 911 call.
"Deputies responded to the location and confirmed the presence of the remains," the press release reads. "Detectives obtained a search warrant for two parcels on Ricky Road and recovered the human remains along with additional evidence related to the investigation."
The sheriff's office goes on to say their investigation was "extensive" and uncovered evidence "leading them to believe" the defendant was responsible for the victim's murder.
"Taylor was already in custody at the Butte County Jail on an unrelated felony arrest warrant," the sheriff's office press release goes on. The DA's office said that prior warrant was related to a firearm offense.
The investigation is said to be ongoing.
The defendant is currently being detained on a no-bail hold and also has pending arson cases in Lake County, the DA's office said.
Taylor appeared in court on March 26, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is next slated to appear in court on April 2.
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