Skeletal remains discovered near a north St. Louis cemetery on Friday have homicide detectives working to untangle a mystery along the busy West Florissant corridor. Officers were called to the area of Thrush Avenue off West Florissant after the remains were found, and St. Louis City homicide detectives are now handling the case. Authorities have not released any identifying information about the remains while forensic work is underway.
Police publicly announced the discovery just after 4 p.m., according to First Alert 4, which reports the remains were located near Calvary Cemetery. The outlet notes that investigators are asking anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
Where The Discovery Was Made
Calvary Cemetery, a sprawling burial ground along West Florissant Avenue, sits at 5239 West Florissant and covers roughly 470 acres, according to Wikipedia. Operated by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, it holds hundreds of thousands of graves, making it one of the city’s largest and most historically significant cemeteries.
How Investigations Typically Proceed
According to a departmental notice about similar discoveries, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide detectives typically request the Medical Examiner’s Office and may call in the Fire Department’s cadaver canine to assist in searches. The notice explains that the Medical Examiner confirms whether remains are human and works to determine cause and manner of death, while homicide detectives lead the overall investigation.
Anyone with information related to this discovery is asked to contact the Homicide Division at 314-444-5371 or call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477, per First Alert 4. Tips can be submitted anonymously through CrimeStoppers.
