New York State Police are investigating a set of human remains found in a wooded area near the Town Hall in Lake George.

Police say there were no obvious signs of trauma but they have experts examining the remains right now to determine an ID and a cause of death. 

A woman stumbled upon them as she was taking a walk down memory lane, Nancy Jefts knew her 93-year-old father was in his final days. 

On Friday morning, she set out for a walk in the neighborhood where she grew up on Joques Farm Road in Lake George.

To cope, find peace and clarity she ventures into the woods off Parrotts Pond Drive, which used to be part of a community playground. 

“Just remembering how we used to play. We’d make up scavenger hunts and play all over that property with the kids from the neighborhood.” 

Though overgrown with twigs and brush, Nancy still knows the terrain quite well. 

As she is digging up old memories, walking along the wooded path, something else catches her attention.

A bone sticking out from under the leaves.

“I picked it up then thought it looked too big to be from an animal. As I started to look around the site, I saw another shoe, a gym bag. I saw a deteriorating piece of clothing and I started to see more bones. I just put the bone back down and thought oh my gosh I think these are human.”

State Police are now investigating who the remains belong to and how long they’ve been there.

Police did find an ID nearby of a New York City resident but they are waiting for official DNA results. 

Finding a cause of death could be tough because police say the remains have likely been there for years. 

Two days after her discovery, Nancy’s father passed away.

She’s hopeful that soon another family will also get the closure they deserve.

“What I felt mostly was for this poor person’s family, who has no idea what happened to their loved one. That’s why I hope the police are able to find out who it is.”

Police say it could be a few days maybe even a week before they get those DNA results. 

Though there aren’t any clear signs of foul play, police are not ruling anything out.