Deputies responding to privately owned land near Bear Creek Park in Lancaster County discovered human skeletal remains Saturday afternoon that appeared to have been exposed to the elements for a long time. The remains were found in a field near South Potter Road, in the unincorporated Elgin community just southeast of the city of Lancaster, and investigators located a duffel bag containing personal effects nearby that they hope will help identify who the bones belonged to.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene at 12:45 p.m. on October 17, according to a media release from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Crime scene investigators secured the area, documented the scene, and collected personal effects from the duffel bag that are said to have provided leads concerning the person’s identity.
Investigators said they have not discovered any evidence of foul play. The Lancaster County Coroner collected the remains from the scene, and both the sheriff’s office and the coroner’s office are now jointly investigating the discovery.
Richland County’s Forensic Anthropologists Take Over Analysis
The remains have been sent to the Richland County Coroner’s Office Forensic Anthropology Department, which will examine them to determine the person’s identity along with the cause and manner of death…