Human bone turns up at dog park in eastern North Carolina, prompting investigation

The discovery of a human bone in an Eastern North Carolina dog park has prompted a police investigation.

The Rocky Mount Police Department says “a citizen” called the department around 7:20 a.m. Wednesday to report finding the bone at the Best Friend’s Dog Park on Lee Street.

A “preliminary investigation” revealed it was human, police said in a news release.

Rocky Mount is a city of about 58,000 people, located 55 miles northeast of Raleigh.

Police “collected the bone” and have turned to an East Carolina University forensic anthropologist and the State Bureau of Investigation for help solving the mystery, officials said.

”According to the anthropologist, due to the extensive weathering of the human bone, it is historical, which means it is estimated to be close to one hundred years old,” police said in the release. “The Rocky Mount Police Department will continue to investigate the situation.”

Best Friend’s Dog Park is a nine-acre “off-leash” dog park managed by the Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation Department.

“Digging is strongly discouraged,” the department says. “No food or dog chews are allowed within the off-leash area.”

This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Human bone turns up at dog park in eastern North Carolina, prompting investigation."