Human skeletal remains found near Pennsylvania church

An ariel view of Salem United Methodist Church in York County, Pennsylvania.
Google Maps/Satellite View

Authorities are investigating the discovery of human remains in a rural section of central Pennsylvania.

Lower Windsor Township police say they responded to a field near the Salem United Methodist Church in York County just after midnight Thursday.

There, a group of hunters led them to a location where they had found some old, tattered clothing and what appeared to be human skeletal remains. A rifle also was found at the location, according to WGAL.

Police say the local coroner's office was able to confirm the remains are human. Authorities are currently working to determine the person's identity.

The coroner believes the remains may have been at the location for months or even years, WGAL reports. Lower Windsor Township Police Chief Tim Caldwell told the York Daily Record that "badly decomposed" doesn't even begin to describe the state of the body.