The day after Halloween, a hunter found skeletal remains behind The Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, and the Lancaster Coroner has been investigating ever since.
"I believe the most likely scenario is that he may have passed away sometime in June or July," said Steve Diamantoni the Lancaster County Coroner.
During the time in between when the person passed away and when the body was found, the remains had deteriorated so much that the identity of the body could not be confirmed.
The coroner believes the body belongs to a man in his fifties, somewhere between 5'6" and 5'10". But the most telling sign is that the man was suffering from a condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis, which is a type of arthritis that only affects about one million people in the U.S. and causes an individual to be in a hunched position.
The one thing the coroner could not identify is how this person died. "There were no evidence of cutting marks or tool marks on the skeleton or fractures that would suggest foul play."
But because much of the body was missing, the coroner was not able to do a full investigation. So while it doesn't seem like foul play, they can't be sure.
The biggest task they're faced with is finding out who this person is, but without the ability to do DNA testing, they'll have to rely on dental records and the public. "It's very difficult and painful for any family to wonder whether or not somebody they love and somebody that's incredibly important to them is alive or dead. It's incredibly important for them to know exactly where those individuals are."
The information specific to this case has been posted to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as well as the National Crime Information Center.
If you know of someone missing in the area who matches this description, please contact police.
"I believe the most likely scenario is that he may have passed away sometime in June or July," said Steve Diamantoni the Lancaster County Coroner.
During the time in between when the person passed away and when the body was found, the remains had deteriorated so much that the identity of the body could not be confirmed.
The coroner believes the body belongs to a man in his fifties, somewhere between 5'6" and 5'10". But the most telling sign is that the man was suffering from a condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis, which is a type of arthritis that only affects about one million people in the U.S. and causes an individual to be in a hunched position.
The one thing the coroner could not identify is how this person died. "There were no evidence of cutting marks or tool marks on the skeleton or fractures that would suggest foul play."
But because much of the body was missing, the coroner was not able to do a full investigation. So while it doesn't seem like foul play, they can't be sure.
The biggest task they're faced with is finding out who this person is, but without the ability to do DNA testing, they'll have to rely on dental records and the public. "It's very difficult and painful for any family to wonder whether or not somebody they love and somebody that's incredibly important to them is alive or dead. It's incredibly important for them to know exactly where those individuals are."
The information specific to this case has been posted to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as well as the National Crime Information Center.
If you know of someone missing in the area who matches this description, please contact police.