Authorities in upstate New York believe that skeletal remains discovered near a hospital could belong to a man who died more than half a century ago.
According to a June 27 news release from the Auburn Police Department, officials were alerted on June 25 after a contractor uncovered possible human remains during excavation work near Auburn Community Hospital.
Police officers, along with representatives from the Cayuga County Coroner’s Office and the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, responded to the site.
“The coroner inspected the uncovered portion of skeletal remains and believed them to be human,” the police department said in its statement.
With help from hospital administrators, investigators established that the area had likely not been disturbed for over 50 years. “At this time, it appears that only one set of human skeletal remains are at the location,” the statement continued.
Because of the remains’ apparent age, a New York State Archaeologist was called in to assist with the investigation, according to police.
In an update shared Oct. 17, the Auburn Police Department said the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office had completed a forensic anthropology analysis. The results indicated the remains likely belonged to a white male between 25 and 35 years old, standing between 5 feet, 5 inches and 6 feet tall.
Investigators found no evidence of postmortem fractures. However, soil adherence and staining on the bones suggested the body had been buried for more than five decades.
The department also noted that “the friability of the remains”—meaning how easily they crumbled—along with “a chalky white layer exposed beneath the cortical bone of the skull’s outer table,” indicated that the body may have been treated with mortuary preservative chemicals before burial.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Auburn Police Department.
