Deputies investigating after swimmers find skeletal remains in northeast Nebraska river

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Stanton County deputies are investigating after a set of skeletal remains were found Monday.

The sheriff’s office said a group of swimmers found the remains of a human skeleton in the Elkhorn River.

Deputies visited the river, which is south of Pilger, and recovered the remains.

Authorities are now investigating whether the remains are from a recent death.  Deputies also hope to learn the cause of death.

After the historic flooding of 2019, the sheriff’s office recovered three partial skeletons from the river.

Those remains were traced back to the 19th century, and Sheriff Mike Unger thinks this skeleton could be from the same time period.

Forensic scientists from the University of North Texas are assisting the sheriff’s office in its investigation.