human-remains-reportedly-discovered-near-texas-hiking-trail

Human Remains Reportedly Discovered Near Texas Hiking Trail

A Saturday morning hike near a Texas hiking trail turned into a gruesome discovery in southwest Austin.

Austin Police said a caller reported finding the body party near the Violet Crown Trail. The discovery came when a person found the human remains in a wooded area near the trail.

Police responded to the call and confirmed the remains were human. 

The trail is off westbound U.S. Highway 290 Service Road.

CBS Austin reported on the skull discovery.

What We Know

  • Hikers found a human skull off an Austin trail
  • Police have yet to identify the body
  • No additional information has been made public after the discovery

N.J. Hikers Find Body On Newark Trail

Hikers nearly 2,000 miles away in New Jersey came across a gruesome discovery of their own.

A group taking a midday walk at Eagle Rock Reservation trail in Newark found a dead body.

When police arrived, they determined the male victim died in a homicide.

Newark police officials said the man died in a shooting but did not reveal other specifics about the body’s condition.

In an official Essex County Prosecutor’s Office press release, hikers found the body near the West Orange and Montclair city border. The Bergen Record said bystanders could still see crime scene tape on a path less half-mile from a rear parking area on Crest Drive on the reservation.

The Eagle Rock Reservation encompasses 410 acres around West Orange, Montclair, and Verona cities in northern New Jersey. The Watchung Mountains, Highlawn restaurant, and the county’s 9/11 Memorial sit within the reservation area.

Police want to find out if someone brought the body to the reservation from another location.

New Jersey Reservation Site Of 2016 Murder

Saturday’s discovery of human remains brought back memories of another body.

Six years ago, police found the body of Sarah Butler in the same area. Butler died at the hands of Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, who killed three others.

Butler, a New Jersey City University student, was reported missing on Nov. 23 after a night out. Days later, on Dec. 1, 2016, police found her body covered by leaves in a wooded area on the reservation.

Police found her car nearby and determined that she had died of strangulation.

They later identified Wheeler-Weaver. According to N.J.com, the man used dating apps to find his victims. During his crime spree, he strangled and burned another victim while suffocating another woman. A fourth woman woke up during the middle of an attack and survived her injuries.

After his arrest and conviction, a judge sentenced the man to 160 years on three murder counts. The Associated Press said Wheeler-Weaver maintained his innocence and claimed another person framed him for the crimes.

There’s likely no connection between Saturday’s discovery and Butler, but police won’t rule out anything yet.