NEED TO KNOW
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Human remains discovered in upstate New York may solve a centuries-old mystery
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The remains were found during excavations for a gas installation line
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A local historian believes the remains may belong to a family whose bodies have been missing for over 200 years
Human remains discovered in upstate New York could hold the key to a Revolutionary-era mystery, at least according to one local historian.
Authorities responded to a report of found human remains in the Town of New Windsor in Orange County on Oct. 14, according to a media release from the New York State Police (NYSP). The remains were discovered by workers for Central Hudson Gas & Electric during excavations for a gas line installation project, the release stated.
A spokesperson for the NYSP told PEOPLE that the site at which the remains were found “is likely the location of the Murders Creek (modern day Moodna Creek) burial site,” and stated that the earliest known burial at the location is “believed to have been in the mid to late 1700s”.
The investigation remains ongoing at this time, per the NYSP spokesperson.
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Police car on fall day (stock image)
While further information about the remains has not been released, town historian Glenn Marshall believes the find could help solve a centuries-old mystery.
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While speaking to Times Union, Marshall said that a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution listed potential Revolutionary-era burial sites in the area in the 1950s. However, photos and exact locations of the potential sites were not provided, meaning that historians have been unable to locate several suspected gravesites.
Marshall said he has been specifically searching for a husband and wife, along with “maybe four to five” of their family members who lived in the area in the late 1700s. He said he currently believes the recent discovery may be the lost family.
“It’s very hard to put a finger on it,” he said, referring to the exact location of suspected burial sites in the region. “But once these popped up, it confirmed what I am looking for.”
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Marshall told the outlet that he did not want to publicly name the family until further research has been done to confirm the identity of the remains. He additionally said that he hopes local universities will study the site further — and potentially discover new graves — once the ground has thawed in the warmer seasons.
Read the original article on People
