Sheriff's Office Finds Bones in Riverton Township

[XLFD]

Human remains have been found in Riverton Township, however, investigators have no idea whether they are human or animal, or adult or children according to Kim Cole.  We need new investigators, I think, if they can't determine the difference between animal and human bones and between an adult and a child's bones on inspection.  Particularly when they call them human remains.  This is a great example of our area's law enforcement diligence in getting out information to the public in a rational manner.  We will try to follow this story as it develops.

 

 

RIVERTON TWP. — Human remains have been found in Riverton Township near the corner of Chauvez and Morton roads. Sheriff Kim Cole said detectives are on scene and the bones have been turned over to Dr. Marc Keen, Mason County medical examiner.

Cole said investigators did not know whether the bones were human or animal, adult or children’s bones.

Law enforcement officials have been organizing a search in June for the remains of Katherine “Baby Kate” Phillips, the 4-month-old who was taken by her biological father, Sean Phillips in June 2011. Since that time Phillips was sentenced for unlawful confinement of the girl. After his sentencing, last summer, Ludington Police Department announced it was opening a murder investigation in relation to the Baby Kate case.

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2013/05/17/bones-found-in-riverton-...

[Lisa O'Brien]

It is comical when they state human remains and then state they don't know what they are. I think the rest of Cole's press release is pretty standard until they get actual facts from the professionals. In the future they probably should state skeletal remains have been found.

[XLFD]

I noticed they didn't announce a lot of basic facts about how they were found, who found them, and whether it was accidental or a dedicated search, among other things.  It makes it hard to get a complete story out to the public.

[XLFD]

There are a few, and let's not forget that this is an area where a lot of migrant workers habituate, and so this could be somehow involved with that population as well, which makes possibilities of unknown disappearances also add on to it.

[XLFD]

Here's an overhead map of the area in which the bones were recovered.  Farmland mainly.  Most people are thinking Baby Kate, but what if it's some undocumented alien or maybe Icarus got hit by one of them wind turbine blades.

[XLFD]

There are some real good places for discrete body disposal continuing over to the west, including that light ravine (where it intersects the road is outlined in red) which has an awful lot of cover, and places to park unnoticed in the middle of a midsummer day, such as the turnoff to the south, or the electric utility area to the north in that area.  The heavy forest, outlined in green, may have several of the shoe elements, particularly near that southern pond.  Google maps will also allow you to walk on Chauvez Road electronically if you can't make it there in person:  walking map

[Willy]

I'm just curious as to whether the Sheriff's office reported "human remains" were found but were not determined to be either human or animal at this time or did the person taking information from the Sheriff's office get the message mixed up? I noticed the article in the Mason Country Press did not state the there were "human remains". Was this article later changed or initially misinterpreted.

[XLFD]

Yes, the article was later changed.  It was cut and pasted to the thread head minutes before this thread was posted.  My guess is that someone originally said it was human remains, but the official version that came out didn't want to make that jump.  MCP doesn't usually change their base story without some form of explanation later, but I have noticed the COLDNews do this frequently.  It's called evolving with the news. 

Better way to do it is to offer an explanation of why the news has changed, or it's just bound to start the rumor mills grinding.  Editorial policy at the Torch is to keep the thread heads intact and print revisions when changes are made to preserve accuracy.

[Dave]

Evolving the news? Sounds like something the administration might do

*cough*benghazi*cough*

[Dave]

If there was no skull found I could maybe see where there could be some question as to what the bones could be from... with a skull I'd have to think that most people would be able to tell if it was human or otherwise.

[XLFD]

I was bicycling around the area today, where the bones were found and made an interesting observation that I haven't seen put out there just yet.  At the southeast corner of Morton and Chauvez Roads is a sign letting folks know that they are at Peacefield Farms.  Could Sean Phillips have indicated this place in his jailhouse letter when he said Baby Kate was placed in a "Peaceful" place?  The possible play on words is intriguing:

[XLFD]

Didn't see any there around midday, nor did I see any obvious signs of the place where the bones may have been found.  But I didn't really get off the road.

[april]

I do think they know what type of bones were found but until confirmed dont want to tell us, I also have been saying its quite odd peaceful farm is there and sean said he laid her in a peaceful place.