[Update] Investigation Into Skeletal Remains Found off West Street Intensifies

Update, Friday, 2 p.m.

The state archaeologist has joined the investigation into the discovery of skeletal remains off West Street. 

Police officers, state forensics experts, canine units from both local and state police and State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni were at the wooded property at 126 and 130 West St. - in between the Reagan Road and South Street intersections - to work on the case Friday morning. 

They were scheduled to be there all day. 

The property consists of a two-lot subdivision with a shared driveway abutting a wooded area that used to be the town dump. 

While walking in the area to look for metal for a college sculpture project, a 23-year-old resident located skeletal remains. 

Police said it is too early to guess at who the bones belonged to. They said all possibilities are being investigated.

Any guess as to a positive identification would be "pure speculation," police spokesman Lt. William Meier reiterated on Friday morning. 

A uniformed officer with a police dog was stationed at the top of the driveway, part of a 24-hour detail to protect the crime scene.

On the property, mobile crime labs from both state and Vernon police were parked. A temporary tent-like command post was also set up. 

Meier said the investigation could take some time to complete. 

He called it, "A very active scene."

Meier said anyone with any information potentially related to the case can call Vernon police at 860-872-9126.

Update, 11:20 p.m.

Adam Viens' life has been one big crime show since Wednesday afternoon.

His driveway has been a highway for police officers, detectives, forensics teams and other investigative personnel. Sections of the abutting woods have been sealed off.

And no matter how hard he tries to piece it all together, it just seems weird to him.

"It is a crime scene and that seems seems really strange," he said. "It's not sinking in."

The 23-year-old Viens then paused for a bit. He was looking for something profound to say but then admitted there was a less-than-fancy reasoning.

"Being that it was a dump, it's not as surprising as it could be," he said.

The "it" was the discovery of skeletal remains in the woods near his home - the two-lot, shared driveway subdivision at 126 and 130 West St.  

Viens splits his time between working at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Manchester and taking classes at Manchester Community College. He had a sculpture assignment and went out to the woods next to his property to look for some metal, his mom, Kris, said.

He went out at about 1 Wednesday afternoon and came back at about 1:45, she said.

And what an eventful three-quarters of an hour.

The land is a former landfill, a dump it was called back about four decades ago, before it was closed. Kids scavenged there, played there. Kris Viens says she was one of those who played in there. She said there are car parts, broken glass, scrap metal and "all kinds of crap."

It was the perfect place for Adam to find materials for a sculpture.

So off he went, looking down, walking along. He came to a stream about 200 yards from his house.

"When got to the water, I looked across opposite side, about 20 feet away," he said. "I saw what was obviously a skull. I could make out part of the eye area."

Being an old landfill, the first thought Adam had was something like an old Halloween decoration. He said he regrets his next move - picking it up - but when he understood it was likely real, he showed Kris and she called the police.

The scene was secured Wednesday afternoon and police intensified the investigation on Thursday.

At about 8:30 p.m., when they were calling it the end of a long day, Vernon detectives said it would be premature to guess at who it might be. Police did say the remains were likely human.

"It's too early and anything I say would be speculation," Lt. William Meier of the Detective Division said. "All possibilities exist at this point."

An officer is being stationed at the scene around the clock and the investigation will resume in the woods on Friday.  

The Viens' home was built in 1992 and the family has been there for 20 years.

Adam said he has tried to put the experience in perspective.

"I am walking, thinking of certain things and then I randomly come upon this skull," he said. "It's surreal. I have stumbled upon the remains of a person - someone missing who others are looking for."

Original Story

Vernon Police are investigating a set of skeletal remains found in a wooded area next to a pair of homes on West Street. 

The homes, located at 126 and 130 West St., are set back from the road and are in between the Regan Road and South Street intersections. A resident discovered the remains on Wednesday.

Police spokesman Lt. William Meier said the investigation is ongoing and more information would be released when it becomes available.

He did say the remains are likely human.

The investigation is being conducted by Vernon detectives with assistance from the Tolland State’s Attorney’s Office, the State Police Major Crimes Unit and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

At about 1 p.m., police began searching the property using cadaver dogs from the State Police Canine unit.

The investigation is in the preliminary stages, Meier said, adding that it could take some time to piece the details together.

The property is an old town landfill and over the years, particularly before the property was developed, children would play in the woods and would build forts on the property.

The homes were built in the early 1990s.