EASTHAM – On Tuesday, May 24th, 2022, at approximately 11:26 AM, Officers and a Detective from the Eastham Police Department, and Law Enforcement Rangers from the National Park Service responded to the area of Fort Hill for a report of bones found near the shoreline of the marsh. It was not immediately apparent as to what type of bones were found. Out of an abundance of caution, the area was secured as a crime scene, and resources were contacted from the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office. Park Rangers maintained a perimeter while the bones and surrounding area were documented by State Police Crime Scene Services, and the Office of the Medical Examiner responded to take custody of the bones for further testing. The area was back open to the public at approximately 4:08 PM. The investigation into the identification of the bones is collectively ongoing by the aforementioned agencies, and pending results from the Office of the Medical Examiner.
Update: The bones located at Fort Hill, after being examined by an expert, were initially believed to most likely not be human. However, out of an abundance of caution and based on other details at the scene indicating the remains may be human, the remains were collected for further testing. Based on information received today from an individual that came into our station we are confident that the bones are not human and that they were staged in a way to make them appear to be human remains. We will continue with the further testing to confirm this, but as of now we are confident that the remains are not human and there is no threat to the public.
