Children find human skull while playing near creek, authorities unearth 50 more bones

A group of children playing near a creek in Anderson County, South Carolina, made a startling discovery Sunday when they uncovered what turned out to be a human skull.

The kids had been exploring near a creek in the Homeland Park area when they came across what they believed were deer bones. One of the boys told FOX Carolina that he initially thought the object he dug up was just a rock.

After the discovery, one of the children’s mothers contacted the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the scene along with the county coroner’s office. Authorities soon determined the bone the children had found was actually a human skull, according to WHNS.

Investigators continued searching the area and eventually uncovered about 50 additional human bones. The county coroner said the remains likely had been there for more than a decade, based on how plant roots had grown around them. However, the coroner noted that the timeline is only an estimate and said the bones were significantly weathered.

Officials believe the remains may belong to someone who was between 15 and 25 years old. The coroner also suggested the body may have floated downstream before coming to rest in the area, WSPA reported.

The skull itself appeared to be in very good condition and showed no visible fractures.

Authorities have not yet identified the person the bones belonged to. Since a complete adult human skeleton contains 206 bones, investigators returned to the site Monday to continue searching for additional remains.

Both the Anderson County Coroner’s Office and the sheriff’s office are investigating the case. At this point, officials say it is too early to determine whether foul play was involved.

In a separate case announced Thursday, authorities in California said a severed leg that washed ashore in 2022 was connected to a missing banker. The remains were identified as belonging to Walter Karl Kinney, who was 59 when he disappeared in 1999 and was declared dead in 2003. One of his legs had been discovered on a beach four years after he went missing.