COLUMBIA, MO. -- UPDATE: Tuesday 3:20 p.m.:
In a Columbia Police department statement, police contacted personnel at the Boone County Jail because of the proximity of the body to the location.
There was “a wrist band still attached to the skeleton and shoes located at the scene did not have shoe laces in them. Additionally, there was enough fabric intact on the shirts that were still attached, that particular graphics could be discerned.”
Jail personnel were able to come up with Ronald Perry Elic’s name and the family was notified. Dental records obtained from the family matched the body.
“We still can’t speculate about the cause of death and will wait for information provided by the anthropologist, who will now do follow up investigation,” Columbia Police Public Information Officer Jesse Haden said. “We do not know if Elic’s death occurred immediately following his release from the jail, or sometime afterward. We will continue to investigate this case, and leave all doors open as we work to pinpoint or rule out a medical event or foul play. At this point, there is no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances.”
Anyone with information about Ronald Elic or the circumstances surrounding his death is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 875-tips, or the police department, at 874-7652.
Elic was released from jail on July 5, 2009.
UPDATE: Tuesday 1:45 p.m.:
The identity of the skeleton found by a Columbia teen on Saturday has been identified.
Ronald Perry Elic, 57, of Overland Park, Kan., a former inmate of Boone County Jail was found near the intersection of Roger Wilson Memorial Drive and Oakland Gravel Road.
Elic was identified by dental records.
UPDATE: Monday 11:15 a.m.:
The Boone County Medical Examiner, Dori Burke says it will be Tuesday before she can perform an exam on human skeletal remains discovered Saturday.
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A death investigation continues in Columbia after a teen finds a human skeleton in the woods.
Police are not talking about the matter, they deferred KRCG’s questions to a supervisor who will be in Monday. And so far, police have said they won't speculate on the cause of death.
A teen found the decaying remains of an adult Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m. in the woods near the intersection of Roger Wilson Memorial Drive and Oakland Gravel Road. He then told his parents, who called the cops.
Authorities worked the scene for several hours and a forensics team combed the area for clues about how the person died....including some clothes that were still on the body.
Police officials say some of the clothing on the skeleton was still intact. They believe it is an adult skeleton that had been in that wooden location for several months.
The body has been taken to the Boone County Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy.
Police believe it had been in the woods for several months.
Tips can be submitted to Crimestoppers at www.875TIPS.com.
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