A human skull was found near Interstate 5 in northern Oregon, authorities said Wednesday.
The Oregon State Police said on Monday morning that members of an Oregon Department of Corrections cleanup crew reported the discovery.
The find, near Keizer, a northern suburb of Salem, was initially reported as a suspicious object. The state police, which took the item for investigation, described it as a skull inside a small backpack.
The remains, believed to belong to a woman in her 30 s or 40 s, were decomposed and had no identifiable features, state police said.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office will try to determine the identity of the remains.
The office didn't respond immediately to a request for comment.
In late 2020, approximately 60 miles west, the body of 9-year-old Haley Mae Coblentz was found in a duffle bag near a rest stop along the state's H.B. The Van Duzer Scenic Corridor leads to the coast.
Two people were charged with a crime in connection with the girl's death, but the case was withdrawn.