TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Gold Teeth May ID Remains At Construction Site

JIM REED / The Tampa Tribune

Deputies examine the site where human remains were found on a construction site at US 92 and Parsons Ave. in Seffner.

ADVERTISEMENT

By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2007

Updated: 09/25/2007 03:26 pm

Video Report From The Scene | Map Of Crime Scene

SEFFNER - Investigators hope auburn hair, gold teeth and dental records lead them to the identity of the person whose skeletal remains a construction crew unearthed Monday.

The skull found on the property of the future convenience store at U.S. Highway 92 and North Parsons Avenue had shoulder-length auburn hair and two gold teeth in the lower jaw, Hillsborough County sheriff's Capt. J.R. Burton said today.

A preliminary examination indicates the person was a white female, perhaps in her early 30s, but that theory could change, Burton said.

"We're treating this as a homicide," Burton said. "We have some indicators there could be foul play, so we're not taking any chances."

The body appears to have been there "for quite some time," perhaps 15 years, Burton estimated. He asked anyone with a missing loved one within that time frame who matches that description to call the sheriff's office at (813) 247-8000.

A worker operating a front-end loader had been digging one to three feet below the property's original grade on Monday when he unearthed the bones, Burton said. The remains did not include any clothing or jewelry and had at one point been wrapped in a blanket.

Detectives, a forensic anthropologist from the University of South Florida and officials from the medical examiner's office today continued to excavate what Burton described as a "clandestine burial site."

Investigators so far have searched missing persons' records to find indications of the person's identity. Burton said detectives hope to compare dental records from other missing persons through a National Crime Information Center database.

News Channel 8 contributed to this report. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com..

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT