Oregon cops find missing California man — then make bone-chilling discovery he’s the man’s alleged killer

A California man allegedly murdered his roommate, buried him in a shallow backyard grave and then stole his truck — before cops caught up with him more than 1,100 miles away while he was impersonating the dead man.

Oregon cops got a bizarre surprise last week when they encountered an unassuming camper in the Mt. Hood National Forest who claimed to be 61-year-old Daniel Joslin, the registered owner of a nearby black Ford F-150.

The truck’s registration and license plate checked out — but there was one major problem: Joslin had been reported missing.

Cops soon learned the man they were talking to wasn’t Joslin at all. He was allegedly his killer and roommate, 60-year-old Cris Jones.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office told Oregon authorities they had been searching for Jones after Joslin, his roommate, had mysteriously vanished and hadn’t been heard from in 10 days.

Then came the grisly discovery.

One day before Oregon cops encountered Jones — and more than a month after Joslin was reported missing — California investigators executing a search warrant at the roommates’ home in Yucca Valley found Joslin’s body buried in “a shallow grave,” authorities said.

Jones had apparently fled the California home and made his way north, ending up more than 1,100 miles away in Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Forest.

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Oregon authorities finally swooped in Aug. 2, deploying a SWAT team and air unit to arrest Jones near Harriet Lake, where cops had first encountered him.

Aerial footage captured the dramatic arrest, with officers surrounding Jones at gunpoint.

Cops also allegedly found a knife and sheath tucked into Jones’ front pants pocket. He also had outstanding warrants in Clackamas and Washington counties, officials said.

Jones was being held Friday in the Clackamas County Jail on the murder case and is awaiting extradition to California.

According to Jones’ Facebook profile, he attended Portland State University.

The investigation remains ongoing.