Human remains found in woods

Posted to Police Beat by Katherine Miller at 5:02 p.m., Jan. 7, 2009

Human remains were found in a wooded area just north of Conley Road, west of U.S. 63 this morning, stated a news release from the Columbia Police Department.

The body was found in a shelter that appears to be part of an abandoned homeless community. There were no outward signs of foul play.

“Since the fact that it’s a homeless camp, it’s wintertime and it’s cold, it could be the fact that the person froze to death,” CPD Lt. Dianne Bernhard said. “It could be that there was a medical emergency that didn’t get treatment, or natural causes.”

Bernhard said a person exercising in the area discovered the remains. They have stumbled on the location and found the remains when they explored the abandoned community, she said. Police were called to investigate the scene around 11 a.m.

The identity of the victim is the top priority of the investigation, and an autopsy is pending, stated the news release.

The age and sex of the victim are not known.

“The body was badly decomposed, not completely intact. At this point we need the medical examiner’s report before we have something to go on,” Bernhard said.

Bernhard said examiners will try to match the identity of the body with someone who has gone missing.

“It’s not uncommon that we would have somebody that would pass away due to the elements or a natural death,” Bernhard said. “It is fairly uncommon that a death goes unnoticed.”