Authorities believe skeleton is of woman

SALUDA — Police are investigating the skeletal remains of a body that was discovered in Saluda Wednesday morning.

A person in the neighborhood of Howard Gap Road was walking their dog when they looked down an embankment and saw a skull about 30-40 feet down, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The person contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, whose officers investigated and determined it was a human’s skull. Then authorities contacted the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Polk County Sheriff Tim Wright said the remains were of a skeleton. The remains were found just before Warrior Mountain Baptist Church off Howard Gap Road.

“It’s been there for a while,” Wright said. “How long, I don’t know.”

Wright also said he cannot find anyone missing from Polk County, so his office is sending out messages to other counties to alert them of the remains in case someone is missing.

Wright said from initial investigation, the skeleton appears to be a woman, given the clothes still on the body. 

“The state took the remains and will attempt to identify [the person],” Wright said. “They will try to identify through dental records.”