BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Human bones discovered by a dog in Birmingham over a four month span were determined to belong to the same person, the Jefferson County Coroner's Office announced.
Back in August of 2024, a Birmingham homeowner discovered a human skull left by his dog near his home on 5th Place NW. Where the dog originally found the skull remains a mystery, and a search of the surrounding area failed to recover any other remains.
The coroner's office said a DNA analysis of the skull did not match any known person in the national Combined DNA Index System database at the time.
Nearly four months later, the same dog was found in possession of a ‘long bone’ in the front yard of the same residence. A search of nearby properties and reviewing doorbell cameras again failed to reveal where the dog found the bone or where in the area the dog was roaming.
Now, the coroner's office has confirmed the tibia and skull recovered by the dog belong to the same person, but the identity is still unknown. Multiple missing person cases have been ruled out through DNA analysis.
GPS trackers have been placed on the dog to define its roaming area and patterns, but searches of those areas have failed to turn up other remains.
The coroner has ruled the death a homicide due to a gunshot wound.