Grim discovery of skeletal remains in ditch near Ferns
GARDAI are investigating the gruesome discovery of skeletal human remains on a roadside ditch near Ferns.
The grim discovery was made at around 11 a.m. yesterday morning at Ballyandrew, by two local people out walking.
News of the discovery sent shock waves throughout Ferns and north Wexford yesterday as people grappled to understand how human remains could lay undiscovered close to a busy roadway for what may have been some length of time.
Speaking to this newspaper yesterday Sergeant Colm Matthews from Enniscorthy Garda Station said the area where the remains were located was immediately sealed off.
Members of the Garda technical unit attended the scene to assist local gardai in determining the circumstances leading to the person’s death.
Sgt Matthews said the local gardai were also awaiting the assistance of the state pathologist to determine the sex of the remains and to ascertain how long the body may have been at the scene.
The gardai are also hoping the state pathologist will help them determine whether the person died in suspicious circumstances or as a result of natural causes.
‘At the moment we don’t know whether the cause of death is suspicious or not,’ said Sgt Matthews.
It’s believed the remains may be that of a female, however, the Gardai said confirmation of the sex of the remains would not be ascertained until after the state pathologist’s examination.
‘We also don’t know at this stage whether the body is that of a male of female,’ he added.
Due to fading daylight yesterday evening it was expected the pathologist’s examination of the body will not take place until this morning and the area where the remains are located was sealed off overnight.
‘The remains were discovered by two people out walking and was located on the ditch beside the road,’ said Sgt Matthews.
There was a large garda presence at the scene throughout the day yesterday.