Human remains discovered at Florida construction site, search ongoing

A building crew uncovered a femur during the construction of a luxury residential community in Palm Coast, Florida. The medical examiner confirmed that the remains were human. The project has since been halted until further notice and an investigation launched.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office verified that, so far, two femurs and fragments of skull and jaw have been found during the excavation process.

Sheriff Rick Staly stated, "We have two femurs. If we find a third femur, we have a problem."

Much of the dig site has yet to be examined, with the remaining piles of dirt measuring about a football field long. It's unclear where the bones were originally buried since the construction crew discovered the femur after moving the dirt around.

Police requested the help of the anthropology team from the University of South Florida (USF). The team brought with them their specialized excavation equipment, which is ideal for working on large-scale projects. The process includes pouring water over the dirt and carefully sifting through it.

USF Anthropologist Dr. Erin Kimmerle stated, "It's covering a lot of ground and digging through these mound of soil and not missing anything – bones, clothing."

The anthropology team and its specialized excavation equipment assisted law enforcement in 2014, digging up 55 graves during the investigation at Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys.

As the case currently stands, authorities believe the remains are at least two decades old and belong to one individual.

"At this time, we won't know how these remains got there or if this was a homicide, natural death, or suicide," Staly stated. "We do have a number of missing persons. And amongst our team, we are speculating on a couple of cases. But until we identify the remains, we won't know for sure."

Police anticipate that the dig site excavation will continue through Friday.