Athens, TN (WOKI) An investigation is underway in McMinn County after hunters find human remains last week near Athens.

Officials with the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office say deputies responded around 10:00 a.m. Thursday, October 19 after hunters found what appeared to be skeletal human remains in a wooded area off Highway 30 west of Athens, near County Rd. 119.

The sheriff’s office says hunters directed deputies to the location several yards off the highway where partial human remains were discovered; they were sent to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and members of the District Attorney General’s Office are aiding in the investigation.