GRISLY FIND UNEARTHED
ROAD WORKERS ALERT POLICE AFTER BONE DISCOVERY
HUMAN remains have been unearthed by road workers on Palm Island.
The bones were found in an 80cm trench yesterday morning by workers upgrading Beach Rd.
Detective Inspector Chris Lawson said the remains were “pre-colonial and considerably old”. “As such the coroner’s office has been made aware and are liaising with the Palm Island council and traditional owners with regards to what will happen to the remains.”
HUMAN remains have been unearthed by road workers on Palm Island.
The bones were found in an 80cm trench yesterday morning by workers upgrading Beach Rd.
Detective Inspector Chris Lawson said the remains were “pre-colonial and considerably old”.
“As such the coroner’s office has been made aware and are liaising with the Palm Island council and traditional owners with regards with what will happen to the remains,” he said. “We know it’s a traditional burial.”
Insp Lawson said Scenes of Crime would be arriving on Palm Island today.
The Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council released the following statement on its Facebook page yesterday in response to the find:
“Council wishes to advise the Palm Island community regarding discovery of remains at the Beach Road Upgrade project that the police are now working at the direction of the coroner,” the post reads.
“A police crime scene team is scheduled to be on site (this) morning to ensure that appropriate level of investigations occurs.
“Mayor Mislam Sam has spoken to Mr Walter Palm Island who gave approval for the police to continue with their crime scene investigation and to liaise with the Environmental Protection Agency for repatriation of the remains to an appropriate resting site.”
Palm Island officer-incharge Senior Sergeant David Rutherford said a crime scene had been declared when police were called at 9.50am to initially determine whether the bones were human or not.
“The roadway which is being dug has been in place for 50 years,” he said.
Sen-sgt Rutherford said there was no known connection between these remains and the discovery of a bone, believed to be a femur, on the other side of the island last year in May.
The works to upgrade Beach Rd to concrete started last Friday.
Mr Sam was contacted for comment.