Police: Person whose remains were found in Tioga apparently died in past 2 years

Authorities investigating human remains that were found in an empty Tioga lot by a construction crew say the person they belonged to apparently died in the last two years.

Lt. Dan Brooks of Northwest Detectives said police do not know the person's gender or cause of death.

On Tuesday afternoon, private contractors who were excavating the empty lot at 17th and Atlantic Streets saw possible human remains and contacted a supervisor, who called 911, police said.

Portions of a human skeleton, jaw bone, and limbs were found within the same area, about six feet underground, Brooks said. He said clothing and portions of luggage were also found in the area of the remains.

A one-story commercial property previously stood at the lot, whose address is 3530-32 N. 17th St., Brooks said.

According to the city's Licenses and Inspections Department, the demolition of the property began in September and was ongoing. The property owner's demolition permit indicated plans to leave the site as a vacant lot.

Karen Guss, an L&I spokeswoman, said the full demolition process, which includes removal of the foundation and several steps that went below ground, was not yet completed.