DETROIT – FBI agents spent hours digging up a vacant lot on Detroit’s west side Monday after neighbors said contractors reported finding what they believed were human remains.
The property is near the intersection of Oregon and Beechwood streets.
The FBI confirmed to Local 4 that agents were “conducting law enforcement activities” in the area and said, “There is no current threat to the public at this time.”
The agency did not release additional details about what prompted the search or what, if anything, was recovered.
Neighbor Tiara Owens told Local 4 she was surprised to wake up and see the FBI digging up the vacant lot.
“This morning when I came out onto the porch, they were already working,” Owens said. “We have never had an incident, especially the FBI on this block in all of the years I have stayed here. So, it is pretty disturbing,” she said.
Owens said she was told contractors working on a nearby home discovered what appeared to be human remains Sunday and notified police.
“A human head, some type of skull was found,” she said.
Sky4 flew over the scene and showed agents using a small excavator and shovels to dig, then sifting through dirt by hand. Items that appeared to be clothing and other materials were seen laid out on a sheet near the excavation area.
Owens said the lot has been vacant for years, and she hopes the investigation provides some answers for a family.
“That lot has been vacant for over 10 years. So, there is no telling how long that person has been there,” she said. “Hopefully they can find out who the person is and the family can get some type of closure.”
What we know
- FBI agents searched a vacant lot near Oregon and Beechwood on Detroit’s west side Monday.
- The FBI said agents were “conducting law enforcement activities” and that there is no current threat to the public.
- Neighbors said contractors reported finding what they believed were possible human remains, including a skull.
What we don’t know
- What evidence, if any, was recovered from the scene.
- Why the FBI is involved and what the investigation is connected to.