Portsmouth Police Investigate Bones Buried On Sandy Point Beach

PORTSMOUTH, RI — A Colorado woman made an unsettling discovery during a walk on the south end of Sandy Beach on June 19, police said. Carol Carlson, of Longmont, found a metal lid sticking up on the beach. It belonged to a tin that was buried under the sand. According to the police report, she dug it up, opened the tin and found sand and rocks inside. But under the rocks, she also found a bone. She called police at 2:07 p.m. to report the discovery.

Police responded to the beach, and she gave them the bone. She also showed them the spot where she had found the tin. But by then, the high tide had rolled in, and covered up the area with water. Police were unable to excavate the tin then. But they returned to the beach on June 20 at low tide, found the tin and dug it up. It had disintegrated due to the combination of its age and the exposure to sea water. But they were able to inspect the contents. They found several more bones in the tin. Ultimately, they determined the bones belonged to a deer, and not to a person. The case was closed.