Howard police identify skeleton found in woods

Howard County police have determined the identity of the human skeletal remains found in the woods near Howard County General Hospital in Columbia on June 1. The remains have been identified as those of Kevin Anthony Saunders, Sherry Llewellyn, a Howard County police spokeswoman, said Thursday in an email. Saunders, who was never reported missing, was 20 years old when he was last seen in Columbia by a family member in May 2015, according to Llewellyn. Saunders had no fixed address, but was local to Columbia, she said. On June 1, a landscaper found the remains after noticing a jacket, which “appeared to have damage due to outdoor elements,” in the wooded Columbia area near the 12200 block of Green Meadow Drive, police said in June. There was no skin or hair attached to the remains, and police could not confirm if teeth were still intact on the skull, Llewellyn said in June. Dental records are sometimes used by investigators to identify a body. There is no evidence of foul play and the cause, manner and time of Saunders’ death remain undetermined by the state medical examiner, Llewellyn said Thursday.