‘We don’t have the answers.’ Mystery grows over human remains found in Florida woods

Questions are piling up after human remains were discovered in a forested area near Florida’s northern border.

The identity of the person and cause of death remain unknown, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

It’s also not clear when the person died.

Investigators report the discovery was made shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, along SE County Line Road, near the Baker County line. Columbia County is about 50 miles west of Jacksonville, along the state’s Georgia border.

“Someone who had been walking in the area called to report finding human remains,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies responded and confirmed the discovery of suspected human skeletal remains. ... Detectives conducted a grid search of the area and utilized the agency’s drone in the search process. Skeletal remains were discovered during the search.”

Detectives are working with forensic experts to identify the victim and determine a cause of death.

The area where the remains were found is rural and sparsely populated, with a mix of farm land and forest.

Investigators have not said how long the remains may have been in the woods.

“These types of cases are uncommon in our area,” Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter said in the news release. “There are a lot of questions we don’t have the answers to yet, but I am confident in our team’s ability to exhaust every lead and bring closure to this case.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 6:43 AM with the headline "‘We don’t have the answers.’ Mystery grows over human remains found in Florida woods."