Meridian police say human skeletal remains were discovered Saturday morning near the intersection of Bonita Drive and 3rd Avenue in a wooded area near the old Peavey building in Meridian. 

Meridian Police Department spokesman Sgt. Dareall Thompson said the remains, which included a human skull, were discovered by a homeless person who contacted authorities about 8:30 a.m.

A backpack was also discovered near the remains, which the county coroner said have been there for at least a year.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist with the investigation.

“It’s too early to say, but it will probably take a while to determine the identity of the person,”Thompson said, adding that the remains will be sent to the state crime lab for processing.

Thompson said it is also too early to determine whether or not foul play was involved.

This discovery comes after a different set of human remains were found in a wooded area behind a motel on Highway 11/80 on May 6. Lauderdale County Coroner Clayton Cobler said the cause of death was unknown. Thompson said the identity of the body couldn’t immediately be determined, but police haven’t eliminated the possibility of a homeless person living in the tent in the woods. The remains were also sent to the crime lab for analysis.

— Whitney Downard and Cheryl Owens contributed to this report.