Two hikers out for a Friday walk in Ridley Creek State Park stumbled onto human remains, turning a quiet stretch of trail in Delaware County into the scene of an active police investigation.
Discovery and response
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the hikers called 911 around 12:30 p.m. Friday after finding what they believed were human remains near 71 Chapel Hill Road inside Ridley Creek State Park. Upper Providence Township police and the Pennsylvania State Police responded, then called in the Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office.
The medical examiner recovered the remains and later confirmed they were human, NBC10 Philadelphia reported. Investigators have not said who the remains belong to or how long they may have been in the area.
Investigation and search for answers
The inquiry is being handled by Upper Providence Township police along with the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Unit. So far, investigators have not publicly identified the remains or released details about the circumstances around the discovery.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to step forward as they work to piece together what happened on the wooded stretch of park trail.
How to help and next steps
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Unit at 484-840-1000, according to CBS Philadelphia.
The Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner will lead the effort to identify the person and determine the cause and manner of death as part of its forensic investigation, per the county medical examiner's office (Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner). Officials have not released additional details about the condition of the remains or the immediate scene while the work continues.
Park setting
Ridley Creek State Park covers more than 2,600 acres of woodlands and trails in southeastern Delaware County and is a heavily used recreation spot for hikers and cyclists, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The main entrance is on Sandy Flash Drive South at Gradyville Road, and visitors are reminded that cell service can be spotty in parts of the park.
Recoveries of remains in public parks are rare, and authorities note that forensic identification can take time, especially depending on the condition of what is found. For now, the discovery along the Ridley Creek trails remains a mystery that investigators are trying to solve.
