North Kansas City police have launched an investigation after a human skull was found Wednesday afternoon in a wooded area just south of North Kansas City Hospital.

Officers responded to the area in the 2800 block of Clay Edwards Drive just before 1 p.m. after a hiker alerted them about the human remains they had discovered, police said.

Kansas City police crime scene investigators and a medical examiner arrived after North Kansas City police secured the area. The remains appeared to be in an advanced stage of decomposition. There is no immediate evidence that any criminal activity occurred, according to authorities.

The medical examiner will attempt to determine cause of death and the identity of the deceased.

Glenn E. Rice

The Kansas City Star

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Glenn E. Rice is an investigative reporter who focuses on law enforcement and the legal system. He has been with The Star since 1988. In 2020 Rice helped investigate discrimination and structural racism that went unchecked for decades inside the Kansas City Fire Department.