Buffalo, NY – Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard reports his office received a call from two individuals Saturday morning about the discovery of skeletal remains in a wooded area near the Marion J. Fricano Town Park in North Collins.

When Deputy Mosier responded to the area, he located a boot, which was above the dirt line, he verified its contents to be part of a human skeleton.  Detectives and the Crime Scene Investigation Unit were dispatched the scene as well as the Erie County Medical Examiner Office and an anthropology group from Mercyhurst College (Erie, PA) to begin excavating the scene.

The original call was received around 11:10 A.M, Saturday and the teams have worked through the night to exhume the remains.  As of 10:00 A.M. Sunday, the team has unearthed a fraction of the skeletal remains and anticipates several hours more of excavation will be necessary.

Once the skeletal remains are unearthed, the medical examiner will take custody of the body and continue the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office is unable to determine how long the body was at this location.