Man’s skeleton unearthed by Morgan City work crew

A Morgan City Police sergeant says he is days away from joining in an exam of human remains, that city work crews found last week while cleaning a drainage ditch near Railroad Avenue and Myrtle Street.

Department spokesman Sgt. Teddy Liner said he and another officer will join LSU Forensic Anthropologist Mary Manheim when she examines the remains. Liner said with enough DNA samples gleaned from the skeletal remains, authorities should be able to identify the man.

“About 60 percent of the skeleton was intact, with very little teeth remaining,” Liner said. “Hopefully, Ms. Manheim will be able to tell us how long the remains had been at that location, along with the person’s age.”

Liner said city work crews unearthed the bones while cleaning a drainage ditch in anticipation of the 2009 hurricane season. “It’s not clear whether or not they will find anymore of the remains as they dig deeper,” he said. “Also, it’s not clear as to whether some of that earth had previously been moved to another location.”

Liner is asking anyone with information regarding a man who may have gone missing about two years ago or anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area where the bones were discovered to contact Morgan City Police at (985) 380-4605.