The Ingham County Sheriff's Department is still working to identify two bags of human remains discovered in the Red Cedar River earlier this week. The case is being investigated as a homicide.
Dean Sienko, the Ingham County medical examiner, along with MSU anthropology and social science Professor Norman Sauer, are working to piece together the partially decomposed body parts.
"Forensic pathologists look at the body parts we have and give us an opinion on whether the person was male or female," Sienko said, adding that they can also determine an approximate body size of the person.
It is still unknown whether more than one person's remains were recovered from the river, Sienko said. High temperatures, varying levels of humidity and the presence of water can hinder clues as to how long the body parts have been dismembered.
"This is a very unusual thing for all of us," Sienko said. "It is going to take some time to investigate - we will take it day by day."
The various body parts were placed into two garbage bags and then into two similar large canvas bags, Ingham County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Roy Holliday said. Investigators do have an idea as to how the body parts were separated but are not releasing that information at this time.
Workers from the county's health department noticed one bag of remains floating in the river while conducting a routine water test on Monday in Webberville. Department officials declined to comment on the find.
The second bag was recovered Tuesday morning after a dive team entered the river and completed a limited search of the area.
Police estimate the bags were in the river for about one to three months, Holliday said. It is believed that the bags did not travel down the river and were dumped at the location where they were found, he added.
Although a thorough examination of the remains has yet to be completed, police are combing over missing persons reports to find a potential match, Holliday said.
"We are trying to get enough information to match this up with somebody that is missing," he said.
DNA samples from the parts have been submitted to the Michigan State Police crime lab, Sienko said. If a missing person matches a description garnered from studying the parts, family members will be asked to submit blood samples to see if there is a genetic link, he added.
There are currently no missing people from the Webberville area, Holliday said.
MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said she doesn't believe there are any missing MSU students.
The location where the bags were found is remote and surrounded by farms. Overgrown grass, shrubs and trees encompass the river bank, which is about 30 miles from campus.
Webberville resident Roxanne Weaver, 52, said it's strange for something like this to happen in such a close community. Weaver lives next door to the Red Cedar River bridge where the bags were found.
"It's scary," she said. "You are surprised when there are body parts 300 yards from your house."
The sheriff's department has requested anyone with information relating to the case to call Sgt. Holliday at (517) 676-8251.
Kris Turner can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.
