Collier County authorities are probing last week’s discovery of bones as a suspicious incident, citing a rope and a backpack near the remains.
According to an incident report, Collier County authorities just after 2 p.m. May 21 responded to Sugden Community Park, in East Naples, in response to reports of possible human remains.
The detailed but redacted report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office says a facilities manager told a responding deputy that two employees were clearing brush in a wooded area near the back of the park when they found apparent human remains.
When the deputy approached the area, between 40 and 50 feet into the tree line, he saw what appeared to be a human skull on the ground.
Near the skull, the deputy wrote in his report, he saw a length of rope hung from a tree branch. The rope appeared to have a noose tied at the lower end near the skull.
On scene, authorities also found a backpack, but the details of what it carried remain redacted in the report.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: A skull and a backpack: Suspicious human remains found in East Naples
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
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