NEW MIAMI, Ohio -- Jacob Kotre thought the human skeleton he discovered lying in two pieces near Seven Mile Creek was a leftover Halloween decoration.
It wasn’t. It was the remnants of a real human body, and Butler County authorities are now working to determine its identity.
Kotre had expected a "boring day" Wednesday, he said. He and his girlfriend had taken the day off to hike and fish along the creek when a stray dog led them to the body -- at which point, he said, he immediately called 911.
"Literally, there is half a body about 10 feet away from the other half," he told 911. "It had to've been here for a while, but all the clothes look kind of new."
The skeleton was dressed in all black, Kotre said, and looked like it had been visited by animals before he and his girlfriend found it.
Butler County coroner Dr. Lisa Mannix responded to the scene and confirmed that the skeleton was human. She will work with the sheriff’s office to determine the person's identity and a possible cause of death, according to deputies.
It was an unsettling experience for Kotre, but he said he hoped the discovery would help bring some closure to the dead person's loved ones.
"Honestly, I am glad we found it because everyone deserves to know what happened to their family," he said.
