The body was identified through fingerprints Sunday, Youngblood said.
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On August. 1, Ashley shot two Kern County SWAT team deputies who found him hiding in the woods, Youngblood said.
Sheriff Donny Youngblood tells KBAK-TV that Benjamin Peter Ashley was released October. 20 because of federal orders that set a limit on inmates at the local jail.
Authorities say he took the men hostage in a cabin near Twin Oaks after they confronted him about squatting on the property.
During the manhunt, authorities warned residents to stay inside and lock their doors and windows. The deputies believe Ashley may have shot himself once in the head after falling to the ground in a seated position, the sheriff added.
The crimes began July 28, when three men were held hostage at gunpoint in a cabin. One was hit in both arms and the other was grazed.
He said an autopsy would be conducted to obtain a positive identification.
Gary Welfl, manager of Brady’s Mini Mart, told the The Bakersfield Californian the suspect entered his store carrying three duffel bags, wearing a backpack and holding a walking stick.
Authorities revealed late Saturday that deputies shot and killed a man who was believed to be the primary target of a manhunt that lasted two weeks in the desert in central California. Authorities also closed a stretch of the famed Pacific Crest Trail in the southern Sierra Nevada. He was charged with resisting arrest in Orange County in 2012 and in Glendale in 2013, according to court records.
The suspect was shot near a convenience store after deputies received a report that he had been there.
Kern County Sheriff’s officials have confirmed an officer-involved shooting with two deputies involved near Ridgecrest.
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The first version of this story was published at 10:02 a.m.
