LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. – Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office detectives investigated skeletal remains found in an abandoned home in Winfield Wednesday. Investigators said the person was found wearing several layers of clothing but said it is still early in the investigation.
“We found skeletal remains of a deceased person. At this time, we can’t tell the sex or age of the individual,” said Capt. David Hill for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s probably going to require dental records.”
Hill said the challenge for investigators is trying to identify the remains.
“As it’s gotten hotter, that speeds up the decomposition process,” he said. “The fact that the home is in such bad shape makes it really difficult for us to be able to effectively even investigate the scene around it.”
Hill said it is still too early to determine how the person died or why they were in the abandoned home.
“We haven’t seen anything to indicate a cause of death one way or another,” Hill said. “That’s going to be the responsibility of the coroner and the medical examiner’s office to provide a potential cause of death.”
He said getting the word out to the community is the key to getting the remains identified.
“Because it is a well-traveled area, anybody that has any information or thinks they may have information that can help further the investigation they can contact the sheriff’s office,” Hill said. “Go to our website and click on crime tips.”
If you have any information regarding this investigation, contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 636-528-8546.
