Waukegan Police Investigate Skeletal Human Remains Found In Woods
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A startling discovery in a quiet, wooded area has police looking for clues, and neighbors concerned, after skeletal human remains were found in north suburban Waukegan.
Police found the remains in part of the Lake County Forest Preserves near 10th Street and Lewis Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, after a person walking near the woods stumbled upon them and called authorities.
"I think a lot of it has to do with time of year, and that the trees aren't completely bloomed up, and that there's not a lot of shrubbery on the ground for people to walk through. So it's one of those things that the weather and the time of year probably did play a factor to the citizen walking through the area," Waukegan Police Cmdr. Joe Florip said.
Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper said the remains appeared to have been in the woods for a long time.
Investigators spent hours collecting evidence on Wednesday, and returned Thursday morning.
Waukegan police evidence technicians were canvassing the area for evidence Thursday morning, making some neighbors feel uneasy. However, police said there is no danger to the community.
Cooper said, because a forensic anthropologist would have to determine whether the remains belong to a male or female, and how long they have been in the woods. That process could take days or months.
