Homeless man finds skeletal remains near old tent in makeshift camp in south Macon

Authorities hope forensic tests at a GBI crime lab may be able to determine the identity of skeletal remains found in the woods at a makeshift homeless camp in south Macon as well as what happened to that person.

The tests may take some time.

A homeless man setting up his tent at the makeshift camp found the skeletal remains in the woods near an old tent Monday afternoon, according to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The remains were discovered in the wooded area near the corner of Cynthia Avenue and Fifth Street. Deputies were dispatched to the discovery scene at 4:53 p.m. Monday.

No identification was found nearby.

“We don’t know how long they’ve been dead, and we don’t know who they are,” said Bibb County Deputy Coroner Lonnie Miley.

The remains are expected to be sent to a GBI crime lab Wednesday “hopefully to find out identification and maybe determine possibly what the cause of death was,” Miley said.

“At this point, that’s all we know,” he said.

Anyone with information in reference to this incident is urged to call the Bibb Sheriff’s Office at 478-751 -7500, or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.

This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 7:20 AM.