The skeletal remains found outside Toledo Thursday belong to an adult and were in an advanced state of decomposition, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Chief Criminal Deputy Gene Seiber said Friday.
Cadaver dogs from Pierce County scoured the scene throughout the day Friday as Lewis County detectives searched for additional evidence.
The remains were taken from the scene, though it wasn’t clear as of press time where they were taken.
An 8-year-old boy found the remains — described as “partial” by a sheriff’s office spokesman — along a clearcut off the 100 block of Cougar Lane Thursday afternoon.
The rural, wooded area along the Cowlitz River was blocked off by investigators Friday as search teams looked for more clues.
“He was out there playing and said ‘Hey, look what I found,’” said Bethann Boettner, who owns the large property at the end of the dead-end road. “He did exactly the right thing.”
Boettner said she was not aware of any suspicious activity in the area and that the body’s discovery came as a complete surprise.
Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said the remains would likely be analyzed by forensic pathologists in the coming days.
The gender, approximate age and identity of the remains has not been determined. Brown said that additional information would be released as the investigation progresses.
