Human bones found in Columbia ‘possibly several hundred years old’ coroner says
The human remains that were recently found during the renovation of a Columbia, South Carolina, home are not connected to a cold case, the Richland County Coroner’s Office said Monday.
The bones that were discovered in the 700 block of Kilbourne Road are possibly hundreds of years old and originally from another country, Coroner Naida Rutherford said in a news release.
On March 11, officers responded to the home at about 4 p.m., when a small quantity of skeletal remains were discovered, according to the Columbia Police Department.
Two human bones were found along with several animal bones, according to the release. DNA tests showed that the human remains have no forensic value and are likely historical in nature, the coroner’s office said.
“Our investigation indicates the recovered bones are probably of archaeological origins and were collected in another country,” Dr. William Stevens, a forensic anthropologist who assisted in the investigation said in the release. “Our team will undertake further testing to confirm their source and pursue return or repatriation of the remains to the country of origin.”
Stevens, along with fellow forensic anthropologist Dr. Madeline Atwell and the coroner’s office, led the investigation, according to the release.
No cause of death has been identified.
“Many Richland County citizens speculated on social media that the bones could be tied to a missing person’s cold case, but that is not the situation here as these bones are possibly several hundred years old,” Rutherford said in the release. “Our hearts hurt when families don’t know where their loved ones are. Nothing is more important to our office than being able to bring closure to those who face the unknown.”
The remains were found in an area near a busy section of Devine Street in the upscale Heathwood neighborhood.
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This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Human bones found in Columbia ‘possibly several hundred years old’ coroner says."
