NSW:Sydney backyard bones identified as male

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2010
NSW:Sydney backyard bones identified as male

By Lema Samandar

SYDNEY, Dec 23 AAP - Bones found buried in a southwestern Sydney backyard belonged
to man who may have died from natural causes, tests have revealed.

The remains - a skull, pelvis, femur and other, smaller bones - were discovered by
Mark Harland as he dug up a fence at his property in Fairfield on Tuesday evening.

At first the bones were believed to be those of a woman.

But a preliminary post-mortem examination conducted on Thursday found they belonged
to an elderly or middle-aged man.

Police said there was nothing to suggest his death was suspicious.

"Detectives are however keeping an open mind in regards to the investigation and are
scouring missing persons reports in an attempt to identify the man," police said in a
statement on Thursday.

The man had a titanium metal plate inserted in his leg, but police say this is of little
help in identifying him.

"The matter will require an extensive forensic investigation to confirm who he is,"

the statement said.

The bones were found near Prospect Creek and police are examining a possibility they
were washed down to Mr Harland's property.

Superintendent Brett McFadden told reporters on Wednesday there was old clothing on
the bones, which News Ltd reported was a weathered blue fabric.

AAP lxs/tr/jl

KEYWORD: BONES WRAP

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