PORTLAND, N.Y. — A second set of remains has been found in the Town of Portland in Chautauqua County.
These remains were discovered while police were investigating another set of human remains that were found over the weekend. Remains for the two bodies were found just 10 yards from each other.
"Not that we believe in coincidences, but to have two bodies in the same location is we're trying to figure out what may be going on there," said Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone.
Police were searching the Rails to Trails area off Woleben Road for evidence from the first discovery when the second body was discovered.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office says the first set of remains appear to have been at the location for decades, whereas the second set of remains has been there for a year or two.
"The first finding appeared to be an entire skeletal remains, no other flesh or types of organs, the second set had lesser decomp and there was some fleshy material along with it," Quattrone said.
Investigators say there is no confirmed information, age or gender of the second body found.
However, officials believe that both bodies are of women. The first set of remains was found by a hiker was on the 'Chautauqua Rails to Trails' path when she reported the remains to authorities.
Quattrone said she was searching for an item lost on a previous hike. She reported to police she saw what appeared to be a glass object off the side of the trail but what she discovered was a human skull.
"Once she felt it was human remains she contacted the Sheriff's Office," said Quattrone. "We sent initially one of our patrol officers and some forensic identification officers, they determined it was in fact human remains."
Both bodies were removed and taken to Mercyhurst Anthropology Lab in Erie, PA for further analysis. State forest rangers, K-9 units, and the sheriff's forensic team have been working with Mercyhurst.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System there are seven missing people from Chautauqua County.
"At this point we haven't ruled out any of them. We are hoping with some dental records and some DNA that we may be able to rule many of them out but at this point we don't have any definite answers," said Quattrone.
Quattrone said the forensic anthropologists believe the first set of remains is "likely a female" but any estimations on age and size have not been determined yet.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office is working with different investigating agencies for 3 cases of missing woman and have asked them to contact their families.
Deputies have obtained DNA samples from NYS State Police for 28-year-old Patricia Laemmerhirt, who went missing in April of 1976. She lived in Westfield which is less than 10 miles from the trail where remains were found.
Quattrone said they are also focused on the cases of 36-year-old Corrie Anderson and 26-year-old Lori Bova.
Anderson went missing in October of 2008. She was last seen leaving a car dealership in the City of Jamestown and when she didn't show up to pick her son up from school, her family got worried and reported her missing.