Human remains found in the woods in Columbia, police say
An investigation is underway after human remains were found in the woods, the Columbia Police Department said Tuesday.
Two people walking on the property in the 700 block of South Beltline Boulevard discovered skeletal remains in a wooded area at about 4:45 p.m. Monday, Deputy Chief Melron Kelly told The State.
That’s a residential area in Rosewood that’s close to Woodland Terrace Apartments as well as Shandon Crossing, which is about three miles from Devine Street and the Five Points area.
But the remains were found about 150 yards deep into the woods, and investigators had to access the area through nearby Mikell Lane, Kelly said. It was getting dark when the bones were discovered, so officers remained at the scene all night until the coroner’s office could come out Tuesday and confirm the remains were human, according to Kelly.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts believes the remains are of a male, according to a news release from the police.
Information on how long the remains might have been in the wooded area was not available.
Kelly said he’s not sure if a whole skeleton was recovered, or if only spread remains were found, but officers continued to canvass the area.
An anthropologist will assist the coroner in performing a forensic exam scheduled for Wednesday, police said. That will help determine additional information, including the person’s cause of death, according to the release. Responding officers reported there were no visible signs of trauma, Kelly said.
The hope is the exam will also determine the person’s age and race, along with confirming the gender, Kelly said.
Police are reaching out to other area law enforcement agencies to check on any missing persons reports, to see if the remains could be a match, according to Kelly.
Early on in the investigation, evidence discovered indicated the area might have been a homeless camp, but “it’s too early to tell” if that is the case, Kelly said.
Police and the coroner’s office continue to process the scene and the incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 12:21 PM.
