Construction worker breaking ground unearths human remains, Rhode Island officials say

Police are investigating after human remains, including a human skull, were found at a construction site in Rhode Island, news outlets report.

Carlos Silva, a contractor, found the remains at around 8:45 a.m. on Oct. 24 in the area of Broad and Sheridan streets in Central Falls, Rhode Island, according to WPRI. He told the outlet that he and his crew have recently been excavating the site.

Silva had to make the “foundation one foot deeper” so he broke ground, according to WJAR. That’s when he said he uncovered the remains.

“First it was the hip, I thought I was crazy, the second time I put the bucket down to lift it up, it was the head, some of the arm or the shoulder,” Silva said, according to WJAR.

Contractors plan to use the site that was once a bar called Sportsman’s Lounge to create housing for families, according to The Providence Journal.

Police said it’s too soon to tell if a crime has been committed, according to media outlets.

Maj. Christopher Reed with Central Falls Police believes the bones have been there for “quite some time,” according to WPRI.

The forensic examination of the work site continued through the afternoon until the process was halted due to heavy rain, according to The Providence Journal. It was set to pick back up the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 25.

McClatchy News has reached out to the Central Falls Police Department for more information and is awaiting a response.

Central Falls is 6 miles north of Providence.

This story was originally published October 25, 2022 at 8:24 AM with the headline "Construction worker breaking ground unearths human remains, Rhode Island officials say."