An investigation has been launched by the Lake County Sheriff's detectives after skeletal remains were unearthed in a wooded area near Sheridan and Wadsworth Roads in Beach Park, adjacent to Illinois Beach State Park. According to a statement obtained by NBC Chicago, the investigation kicked off on June 14 following an anonymous tip to the Zion Police Department about the existence of human remains.

Zion police, who received the tip, conducted a search, which led to the discovery. After the skeletal remains were located near the state park's entrance, the jurisdiction fell under the Lake County Sheriff's Office, and they got called to the scene. They have not yet been able to determine for how long the remains have been at the location, nor can they speak to the identity or cause of death of the individual at this early stage of their discovery, as transferred to the Lake County Coroner's Office as noted by Fox 32 Chicago.

While the area is known for its natural beauty, authorities are now combing through this section of Beach Park to piece together the circumstances surrounding the presence of these remains. The Lake County Coroner's Office is taking a deep dive, having taken possession of the remains to conduct further forensic analysis.

Details remain sparse as the officials work to unravel this macabre puzzle laid out before them. Assurances have been given that more information will be shared with the public as it becomes available. Until then, the mysteries of whom these remains belonged to, and how they came to rest in the verdant seclusion of Illinois Beach State Park, hangs heavy in the air, unanswerable and somber in their silence.