Bones Found By Construction Crew In Riverside: Police

RIVERSIDE, IL — Skeletal remains were unearthed Thursday afternoon in Riverside in the 100 block of Bloomingbank. Police said a construction crew working in the village discovered the remains while working on a sewer project at 12:56 p.m. Thursday.

Police said the first officer to arrive at the scene immediately determined that the unearthed skeletal remains were human and immediately contacted detectives. Riverside Police are treating this as a death investigation and the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Evidence Technicians are on scene processing the skeletal remains for further investigation at the medical examiner's office.

According to police, this area is a well-documented Native American burial ground and skeletal remains have been found in this same general area in years past. Police said there is no indication at this point of any foul play.

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said in a release that Riverside detectives are working directly with the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force Evidence Technicians and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office in this death investigation.

According to police, the 100 block of Bloomingbank is currently shut down to all traffic until the burial site
and skeletal remains are completely excavated and transported to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Their office will then have a forensic anthropologist examine the remains to see if they can determine how long the body has been in the ground and if the remains are consistent with the burial ground that is known to be in the immediate area.

Police said the on scene medical examiner confirmed that the recovered bones are old. However, further examination will be required.

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