Skeletal remains found on Llano ranch

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

The Llano County Sheriff's Office said it could take months to get answers on skeletal remains found April 1 on a large ranch in the western section of the county.

Sheriff Bill Blackburn of Llano County said a family member of the ranch owner discovered the skeletal remains while riding around on a remote area of the property on an ATV.

“It's definitely not an archeological find, and we won't rule on a cause of death until we get forensic results back from Texas State University,” Blackburn said. “We'll then send DNA results to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) at the University of North Texas in hopes of getting a positive identification.”

Llano County deputies and investigators responded to the scene and began an investigation and recovery of the remains and possible evidence over the past three days. Investigators were assisted by the Texas Rangers, Horseshoe Bay Police Department, Department of Public Safety, Texas State University Department of Anthropology and Search dog Network.

Blackburn said TSU's anthropology department could provide clues into the body's gender, age, height and weight.

He added that Llano County officials have a list of people reported missing from Llano and surrounding counties and will compare those profiles with the findings.