Fisherman finds human remains in retention pond
By Erin Lowrey
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SLIDELL, Louisiana (WDSU) — The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating after skeletal remains were found near Slidell on Monday afternoon.
Around 4 p.m., deputies were called to a retention pond near Indiana Avenue and Highway 11 after a person fishing found what looked like human remains in the water.
The St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office was notified, along with the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Part of the process is also to determine how long these remains have been there, and there are a number of variables that go into that as well, which is why we partner with the LSU FACES lab for cases like this because, as forensic anthropologist, they have additional resources that we don’t bring to the table as forensic pathologist.” James Hartman, a spokesperson for the coroner’s office, said.
Hartman said the coroner will use the in-house DNA lab to help establish a DNA profile of the remains. They will then work with law enforcement to compare it to missing persons reports.
“Depending on what was there to sample from the skeletal remains, we can usually turn around a DNA profile within a few days,” Hartman said. “But if that profile isn’t already in CODIS, if it isn’t in the system to match a missing person, that doesn’t get us anywhere except we already have the profile to compare when we identify possible identities.”
The coroner’s office is confirming that there are no obvious signs of foul play at this time.
“An obvious sign of foul play, for example, is a bullet hole to the skull or blunt force trauma to the skull or spine.” Hartman said, “And if there is none of that evident, we can say foul play is not immediately suspected.”
The FACES Lab will take possession of the remains Tuesday and will work to identify the body.
Anyone with information on the remains is asked to call the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office at 985-762-8000.
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