Recovered Human Remains Northwest of Beatrice

DATE & TIME:            06-27-2016 / Approximately 1900 hours

LOCATION:                Big Blue River northwest of Beatrice              

OFFENSE:                  Recovered Human Remains

CASE #:                    2016-3290                              

On Monday, June 27, 2016, a citizen was on a recreational kayak excursion on the Big Blue River northwest of Beatrice when they pulled onto a sandbar in the river.  One of the kayakers located what he initially thought to be a turtle shell.   After examining the item, he believed it was possibly part of a human skull.  He contacted the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and turned the item over to the sheriff’s office.  The item was secured at the sheriff’s office for further investigation.

On Tuesday, June 28, 2016 a follow-up investigation was conducted to determine if the item was human.  The Gage County Attorney’s Office was advised of the investigation and the Nebraska State Historical Society was notified of the finding.  A forensic anthropologist was contacted and he was able to verify the item was from a human being.

The item was sent to the forensic anthropologist for further examination.  The Forensic Anthropological Consultants laboratory in Manhattan received the item and identified it as a human frontal bone.  In lay terms, it is the part of the skull that covers the forehead and eye orbits.  Additionally, the frontal bone was determined to be from a male Native American and although not precisely dated, was associated with early American Indians.

At the conclusion of the forensic examination, the remains are being returned to the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and, in accordance with state statute, will be turned over to the Nebraska State Historical Society to be dealt with in conjunction with the Commission on Indian Affairs.

Based on the forensic examination conducted in this case, there is no belief these remains represent any active or known criminal case in Gage County.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310