A burnt body found on the side of Lake Hughes Road on Wednesday is being investigated as homicide, according to Sheriff’s Department detective in charge of the investigation.

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“We’re waiting for an identification of the body and the results of the post-mortem identification of the body,” said Lt. Dave Dolson of the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau.

Detectives are awaiting the results of dental records as to whether this most recent murder is tied to the disappearance of a Laguna Niguel teen who was reported missing last week.

Detectives have also not ruled out whether the dead body being found is connected to the body found in Gorman on Aug. 28; however, they are being investigated by separate detectives, Dolson said.

Both autopsy results have been put on a security-level clearance by the Homicide Bureau of the Sheriff’s Department, according to Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

That means information is only being released through the investigating agency.

Both are being investigated by detectives with the Homicide Bureau, officials said.

Sheriff’s Department deputies searched the Castaic Lake area Tuesday and Wednesday in their effort to find 19-year-old Bryce Laspisa, who has been listed as a critical missing person.

His 2003 Toyota Highlander was found overturned on the Castaic Lake Main Boat Launch access road early Friday morning.

Dental records were obtained in order to identify the body, according to coroner’s officials.

Karen Laspisa, mother of Bryce Laspisa, said she dropped of the records to assist in the effort.

“We volunteered the dental records and dropped them off (Wednesday) — I have not heard anything, yet,” Karen Laspisa said.

Identification through dental records could take anywhere from 10 to 14 days, Corral said.

The county contracts with forensic odontologists, who are not part of the regular staff of the Coroner’s Office, Corral said.

The delay comes from having to coordinate with the schedules of the specialist, who have their own practices and to make sure the identifications are positive, she said.

“The families bring in the antemortem and then we see if we have the individual or not,” he said.

The results from the autopsy of the burned body is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, and would help detectives determine whether the homicide investigations are related.

“We’d need to find out who this person is and see what comes out of the autopsy,”  Dolson said, “before we’re able to answer this question.”

Both bodies are male, but that is the only information being released at this time.

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