Human skeletal remains found near Rainier, sheriff’s office says
Human skeletal remains have been found near the town of Rainier, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
About 11 a.m. Sunday, the skeletal remains were found by a resident riding an ATV in a wooded area near the 11000 block of state Route 507.
“The skeletal remains were determined to be human and appear to have been at that location for some time,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said Monday afternoon that they found a “cranial,” the top of a skull only, which may make identifying the person difficult.
“The front of the face is gone,” and there were no teeth or jawbone, he said.
The top of the skull will be sent to the King County Medical Examiner on Wednesday, so that an anthropologist can examine it to determine an approximate age and gender, Warnock said.
The turnaround time could be as quick as two days because there’s only one artifact, he said.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403, @rolf_boone
This story was originally published March 5, 2018 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Human skeletal remains found near Rainier, sheriff’s office says."