The Lake County Coroner’s office will conduct a forensic autopsy Monday on a set of partial human remains found in Griffith Saturday morning.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman Tyler Brock said in a release Saturday that at around 7 a.m. Oct. 23, a duck hunter found what appeared to be a bone protruding from a piece of clothing while searching for a downed duck in a marshy area at 1901 Cline Ave., north of River Road. Conservation Officers, as well as Griffith and Lake County Sheriff’s officers, responded to the scene, Brock said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department dive team, along with officers manning drones, assisted in the search over several hours, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said Saturday evening. Lake County Coroner David Pastrick said, in a press release, many skeletal remains were found during the search. Pastrick said that based on his experience “and the condition of the remains, it appears the decedent passed away six months or longer, and a lot of time has passed since the occurrence.”
Martinez confirmed that human remains were found.
Pastrick said his office will contact on Monday a forensic odonatologist and forensic anthropologist to assist with their investigation. The Griffith Fire Department, DNR Dive Team, and Lake County CSI also assisted.
The location where the remains were found is only 0.5 miles from the the spot where Dushawna Glover was last seen on May 16, 2020. Glover’s disappearance resulted in an extensive search of the area near on River Road and the Little Calumet River two days later, involving the Lake County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, the Hammond Police Department drone unit, members of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources using a boat and all-terrain vehicle, and officers of the Canadian National Railroad.
Griffith Police Chief Greg Mance acknowledged that the location of where the remains were found is close to where Glover was last seen but said the investigation into her death is open and ongoing.
“As previously recovered evidence showed Ms. Glover to have last been in the general area where skeletal remains were recovered yesterday, we are aware that yesterday’s recovery of remains could be that of Ms Glover’s,” Mance said Sunday. “We are optimistic that the coroner’s investigation will soon provide us with additional answers.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
