Forensic examiners are working to identify the person and determine a cause of death after the remains were found in Third Ward.
HOUSTON, Texas — Houston homicide detectives are awaiting forensic findings after skeletal remains were discovered at a construction site in the city’s Third Ward, leaving investigators without an identified person or a confirmed cause of death days after the discovery.
Houston police said officers were called to 2602 Winbern St. at about 7:10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, after receiving a report of skeletal remains on the property. Officers searched the area and located what they believed to be human remains. Police said the identity, gender and cause of death remain pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The discovery has left several basic questions unanswered, including who the person was, how long the remains had been at the property and how the person died. Police have not announced that the death resulted from a crime, and no suspect or possible motive has been identified. The investigation remains with the Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division while authorities wait for the forensic examination.
Construction workers made the discovery along a fence line near Winbern and Live Oak streets, according to ABC13. Workers contacted police after finding what appeared to be human remains. Investigators later confirmed that partial remains had been recovered from the site.
The location had recently been undergoing redevelopment. Chaz Knox, a longtime resident who lives across the street, told ABC13 that three houses on the property had been cleared months earlier and construction had begun for future patio homes. Knox said he saw police officers using flashlights and concentrating their search along the fence line after authorities arrived.
Police have released few details about the condition or possible age of the remains. That information, along with the person’s identity and cause of death, is expected to depend on the work of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Authorities have not publicly established when the person died or whether the remains were originally at the location where workers found them.
The lack of an identification is a central part of the investigation. Until forensic examiners determine who the remains belong to, detectives have limited information available to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the death. Police have not released information linking the case to a known missing person.
The construction site remained inactive in the days following the discovery, according to neighbors interviewed by ABC13. Police have not announced when work may resume or whether additional searches of the property are planned. Authorities also have not released any finding that would establish a connection between the remains and the site’s recent construction activity.
Houston police said the investigation is pending results from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Anyone with information about the case can contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.
Author note: Last updated September 23, 2026.