Authorities discover a clue in skeletal remains in Peach County

FORT VALLEY -- Authorities investigating the discovery of a human skull and other skeletal remains off Ga. 49 are focusing on a clue that could help piece together the puzzle.

Enough remains had been recovered by Thursday afternoon to determine that "this individual had major surgery on the right ankle," said Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese. "It required two screws in the joint.

"I've been talking to the medical examiner with the state, and she told us that would have required this person to walk with an obvious limp," Deese said. "So that might narrow the list of missing people down big time for us."

About 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, a railroad worker saw a human skull lying in the wood line near the railroad tracks that parallel Ga. 49. He called 911, and deputies arrived to verify that the skull was human, Deese said.

The GBI was called to assist with the crime scene. Authorities began a grid search and found other bones.

"It's basically a crime scene the size of a football field," Deese said.

Authorities don't know if the skeletal remains indicate foul play, Deese said.

"We don't have a clue," Deese said. "But until we determine that, it's being treated as such."

The crime scene is located about three miles south of Fort Valley on Ga. 49 between Fort Valley and Marshallville. The area authorities are combing stretches down an embankment into a wooded area between Ga. 49 and the railroad tracks.

"It's very out of the ordinary for us," Deese said. "It's out in the middle of nowhere, basically. There's no legitimate reason for it to be here."

The recovery of the skeletal remains is taking longer than anticipated, with authorities to return Friday to continue the work. A sheriff's deputy was to be posted overnight to watch over the scene.

"Right now it's a very slow, tedious process, basically on your hands and knees going through the pine straw," Deese said. "Then they recover the pine straw, take it over to a sifter, sift it through to make sure there's still nothing that we missed. Just looking for anything that will help us -- jewelry, body parts, just making sure we don't lose anything."

Authorities have placed the remains on a table like a puzzle, Deese said. About 60 percent of the skeleton has taken shape, he said.

Confusing the process has been the discovery of animal bones, including those from hog and deer, that also must be sorted through, Deese said

"Out here in the woods, there's a lot of hunting that goes on," Deese said. "So we've found all kind of bones."

Authorities are gathering information on missing persons cases in the area and have been contacted by outside agencies as well.

"We've had a couple of people show up out here that had family members missing for several years," Deese said. "So, obviously, this opens up a lot of old wounds."

The remains will go to a GBI crime lab in Atlanta for DNA and dental testing. The skull included intact teeth, Deese said. Authorities think the bones have been in the woods for at least 18 months.

"Right now we have a lot more questions than we have answers," Deese said. "So, hopefully, we're getting to a point where we can start getting some answers."

To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559, or find her Twitter @becpurser.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 7:06 PM with the headline "Authorities discover a clue in skeletal remains in Peach County ."