Human body parts were discovered in Oregon’s Tualatin River on consecutive days last week, prompting a homicide investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a Monday news release, a kayaker found the first body part in the river at 5:09 p.m. Friday. Search teams dispatched by the sheriff’s office located a second part in the same area on Saturday.
“We are treating this as a homicide investigation until we uncover evidence that it’s not,” sheriff’s spokesman David Huey told Portland’s KGW-TV. He added that the level of decomposition suggested the victim died recently.
KOIN, another Portland station, reported the victim was an adult. Authorities have not disclosed the person’s gender or other identifying details.
The Washington County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine the cause of death.
“This is really uncommon. Unsettling, concerning are other terms I would use to describe this incident,” Huey said.
The investigation remains active.