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An expert in forensic anthropology has examined the skull and bones found April 7 near Earlsboro and determined they belong to a Hispanic or Native American male.
A homeowner searching for mushrooms found the skull in a wooded area of his 320-acre property. Excavation resulted in deputies recovering other skeletal remains from the site.
Pottawatomie County Sheriff Kurt Shirey said Dr. Clyde Snow, the "foremost authority in forensic anthropology in the world," examined the bones Wednesday in Oklahoma City. He released his preliminary findings Thursday.
Snow determined the skeletal remains are those of a Hispanic or Native American man who was 17 to 23 years old, Shirey said, and had been deceased one to five years. But Shirey said Snow believes the time of death is closer to one or two years ago. Shirey said investigators will attempt to use DNA to find a connection between the bones and any missing person cases that fit the person's description.
A homeowner searching for mushrooms found the skull in a wooded area of his 320-acre property. Excavation resulted in deputies recovering other skeletal remains from the site.
Pottawatomie County Sheriff Kurt Shirey said Dr. Clyde Snow, the "foremost authority in forensic anthropology in the world," examined the bones Wednesday in Oklahoma City. He released his preliminary findings Thursday.
Snow determined the skeletal remains are those of a Hispanic or Native American man who was 17 to 23 years old, Shirey said, and had been deceased one to five years. But Shirey said Snow believes the time of death is closer to one or two years ago. Shirey said investigators will attempt to use DNA to find a connection between the bones and any missing person cases that fit the person's description.
Since the bones were found, sheriff's detectives have been looking over missing person cases from the last 25 years. Many of those cases involved females, so the expert's determination of sex rules out those cases as a match, but Shirey said they are checking leads in other cases. To eliminate or verify identity with DNA, Shirey said they would need to get a DNA sample from the family member of a missing person to make comparison. DNA analysis can take months to complete, if not longer, the sheriff said, and any DNA comparisons in this case will be done at a Texas lab used by the state medical examiner's office.
Because this person could be someone who isn't from this area, information about the bones was put on a national crime computer database to see if other law enforcement agencies have any missing persons fitting the description determined by Snow. Further study of the bones also is expected in hopes of determining a cause of death. Investigators still don't know if this person's death was a homicide.
Because this person could be someone who isn't from this area, information about the bones was put on a national crime computer database to see if other law enforcement agencies have any missing persons fitting the description determined by Snow. Further study of the bones also is expected in hopes of determining a cause of death. Investigators still don't know if this person's death was a homicide.
Remains Found: Monday, April 7th 2008
Last Update: Friday, April 18th 2008
Last Update: Friday, April 18th 2008
Anyone with information or possible leads may call Chief Deputy Jim Patten or any investigator at the sheriff's office, 405-275-2526. Email: jpatten@pottcoso.com