Medical examiner says remains aren't human

This article was updated at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 8, with additional information.

YAMHILL — What appeared to be human remains were discovered about about three miles west of Yamhill about 6:45 p.m. Friday. They were found beside a bridge spanning the Yamhill River at Oak Ridge Road, near a popular summer swimming hole.

Sgt. Chris Ray of the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office said investigators believed foul play might be involved and issued a call for public assistance.

However, it proved to be a false alarm. When the remains were examined by the state medical examiner, he determined they were not human after all.

“I’m pleased that this case turned out differently than we originally suspected,” said Sheriff Tim Svenson. “It is a necessity in cases like this to be extremely thorough.

“The appearance and decomposed state of the remains made all investigators suspect that they were human. They treated it accordingly, as a crime scene, until the late determination by the medical examiner.”

The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the Newberg Fire Department’s Dive Rescue Team and the Oregon State Police. Originally assigned to the sheriff’s Special Investigations Unit, the case is now being handed off to the Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division.