TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Last Friday, the Traverse City Police Department was called to the Grandview Parkway construction site near Oak St. after construction workers unearthed what appeared to be a bone around 4:30 in the afternoon. The discovery prompted immediate action from the workers, who halted their operations and notified authorities to preserve the integrity of the potential evidence.

Securing the scene.

The site was quickly secured by the police to ensure a thorough investigation. Initial examinations by law enforcement suggested the bones may be human, but said they would be pursing a more detailed analysis is required to determine their origin. On Monday, more bones were uncovered at the site, adding another layer to the skeletal mystery and prompting police to speculate that they may have found more than one body.

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In a recent update to their findings on Tuesday, Traverse City Police Department Captain Pete Simerson called the discovery “human bones” and said that they appear to be “from a pre-modern era, suggesting they could be from a time period well before contemporary forensic methods were available.”

To help them learn more about the bones the police department has enlisted the assistance of forensic experts, including forensic anthropologists from Western Michigan University, Michigan State Police and MDOT (Michigan Dept. of Transportation) to conduct a more detailed examination of the bones.

Historical hunt.

The investigation is focused on determining whether the bones are associated with the original fill used for Grandview Parkway, an old burial site, or other historical contexts. At this time, the police are saying that are not aware of any local missing persons reports, but they are diligently reviewing historical records.

Community responds.

The unexpected discovery of the bones has sent a chill through the community, sparking both curiosity and concern. Online discussions have community members speculating that the bones could be from a native burial site, a lost cemetery from earlier times, or even the legendary resting place of Jimmy Hoffa. The local police, however, have said that what was at the scene does not indicate a Native American burial ground and that nails and wood were also found nearby possibly indicating there may have been a casket there at some time.

A decision was made by the police department, Michigan State Police and MDOT to allow construction to resume.

While it remains unclear where the bones came from and why they ended up on the parkway, the Traverse City Police Department is committed to finding the truth, reminding us all that sometimes, the past isn’t as buried as we think.