Part of human skull found near Beatrice

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A part of a human skull was discovered Wednesday near Beatrice, the Gage County Sheriff’s Office says.

Around 8 p.m., deputies responded to the Mennonite Church just west of Beatrice after some members discovered what appeared to be the top of a skull.

The piece of the skull was eventually removed from the ground after a “tedious excavation,” the sheriff’s office said.

An archeologist from the Nebraska State Historical Society, who has worked with the agency on previous cases, identified the items as part of a human skull.

The sheriff’s office said the item is “not associated with any open or active cases.”  Investigators think nearby tree roots moved the skull up through the ground.

The remains are being returned to the Nebraska State Historical Society for further identification.