After construction workers discovered human remains on private property south of Cheyenne Monday morning, about 50 investigators are now searching for the remains of the body.

Aaron Veldheer, chief deputy with the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, said searchers should be able to conclude their efforts within the next 48 hours. Searchers include Laramie County sheriff’s officers, Laramie County coroner’s staff and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation personnel, Veldheer said.

There may be other agencies involved, but these are the ones Veldheer was aware of during his Tuesday afternoon interview with the Cowboy State Daily, he said.

Researchers perform a “grid search” – carefully scanning small spatial squares before moving on to the next square.

“So you do research in a systematic way, not just wandering around randomly,” Veldheer said.

Veldheer said he did not know which parts specifically had been recovered. He referred that and various other questions to Laramie County Coroner Rebecca Reid.

“As we conduct parallel investigations, we are looking for different things,” Veldheer said. So far, sheriff’s staff have seen no signs of foul play, he said, adding, “we have no information on the cause or manner (of death).”

In an interview Monday, Veldheer said the remains were scattered by weather and/or wildlife. He said it was not a “historical” or archaeological discovery, but a current one.

Costs

Reid confirmed she was there again Tuesday, when she spoke to Cowboy State Daily. The wind blew audibly throughout the phone call.

“We’re still looking,” she said. Reid said she did not know whether the remains belonged to a man or woman, whether they had been on the ground for weeks, months or years, or any other information.

“We won’t know until the forensic anthropologist (makes a discovery),” she said.

Contact Clair McFarland at [email protected]

Claire McFarland can be reached at [email protected].