Skeletal remains were female; Sheriffs investigate as suspicious death

Investigators gather evidence from the woods near the Stafford Courthouse exit off Northbound I-95, where a trucker reported finding human skeletal remains on August 16th, 2012. Photo by Dave Ellis/The Free Lance-Star

Preliminary autopsy reports indicate that skeletal remains found in Stafford County earlier this month are those of a woman between the ages of 25 and 40 who had been dead for at least a year.

But police either don’t know or aren’t releasing much else about the Aug. 16 discovery.

The body had been dumped in the woods off the northbound Interstate 95 off-ramp leading to Courthouse Road. A trucker who had walked into the woods to relieve himself saw the remains and called police.

Sheriff’s spokesman Bill Kennedy said detectives are handling the case as a “suspicious” death because of evidence found at the scene, but he declined to elaborate. Police have not released a cause of death, and Kennedy would not say if they have one.

He did say that it is possible the remains had been in those woods for much longer than a year.

“Due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, no other information is available at this time,” Kennedy said.

Virginia State Police are working with Stafford detectives on the case, Kennedy said.

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404

kepps@freelancestar.com

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