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Five children between the ages of six and 12 found human remains, including a skull, lower mandible, and three vertebrae, off Fish Hatchery Road in northeast Lakeland on May 28.
“The kids, being kids, doing what they should have been doing, helped us out,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd at a press conference on May 29.
Judd said after the children found the remains, some returned home for help, and others stayed with the remains.
“They sent a detachment to stay there with them until we could arrive to make sure that whatever moved the remains there didn’t move them any further, ” he said.
Once notified, Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) responded to the scene and continued searching for additional remains with the help of several local agencies.
Update – Saturday, May 30
Judd held a second press conference on Friday, May 29, to update the community.
He told reporters that rest of the remains were found to the north of the cow pasture behind a home.
The remains have been identified as belonging to a white woman in her mid-70s who lived alone in the home. Judd said the woman had significant medical issues. He described her as a “recluse” and a “hoarder.”
“We see nothing overtly suspicious at this very early phase of the investigation,” Judd said. “We are classifying this simply as a death investigation at this moment in time.”
“At this moment in time, it appears that she was deceased just outside of her back door, and that subsequent to her dying for whatever medical reason, we believe at this point in the investigation the wildlife scattered her remains,” he said.
Judd said they have yet to determine when the woman died. Neighbors called PCSO for a well-being check on April 1, the last time the woman was confirmed alive. Deputies visited her home and spoke to the woman. Judd described her as alive and well and “good to go” at that time. Judd said that after the check, the woman confronted neighbors and told them to “mind their own business.”
Judd said PCSO is communicating with next of kin to learn more about the women.
“I can assure you that this investigation will take some time because of the situation we’re seeing inside her house where she’s clearly, clearly a hoarder.”
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What we know now
Preliminary findings suggest the remains do not belong to several known missing persons, including Tanya Whip, Ethan Fussell, or Savannah Mahoney. According to Judd, investigators believe the remains belong to someone in their mid 30s to 40s, likely male.
“That’s not absolute,” Judd said. “They could be older than that… the investigation is ongoing.”
Based on a preliminary autopsy, there appears to be no damage to the skull. Investigators are searching for the rest of the skeleton to determine cause of death.
PCSO, with the assistance of Brevard County’s cadaver dog, continues to search the pasture where the remains were found and the nearby wooded area.
Investigators attribute the separation of the remains to animals in the area.
Judd said they can’t give a precise timeline on how long the remains have been in the pasture, but the skull is in an advanced stage of decomposition.
“As we did our initial autopsy this morning, a medical examiner determined that he had fillings, he had crowns, he had dental work,” Judd said. “This person at some time in the past has had pretty extensive dental work.”
According to Judd, the property owner, Mr. Walker, has cooperated fully with the investigation and allowed law enforcement to search the property without a warrant.
Ongoing search
The Sheriff’s Office is asking that anyone who may know of a missing loved one or relative to contact them.
“It’s important for the community to get on board,” Judd said. “If you’re missing someone from the area, we want to grab DNA from you,”
Judd is hopeful that dental records and DNA samples from the community will help to identify the remains as the investigation continues.
Anyone who would like to report a missing relative to the sheriff’s office can do so using their main phone number: (863) 298-6200.
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