Conn. tree uprooted by Sandy reveals human bones

Skeletal remains, discovered by a passerby after a New Haven tree was uprooted in superstorm Sandy, can be seen in the center of the photo. / WFSB

NEW HAVEN, Conn A tree uprooted by superstorm Sandy surprised a woman passing by in Connecticut when it revealed skeletal remains at its base, CBS affiliate WFSB reports.

New Haven police said the remains likely belong to a century-old grave; the entire area is home to between 5,000 and 10,000 bodies who were buried hundreds of years ago. The department's detective division responded to the scene and with the state Medical Examiner's Office, they collected the remains.

No criminal investigation has been launched at this time.

The large oak fell when winds from superstorm Sandy battered much of the East Coast late Monday night; Winds were reaching 80 mph when the storm make landfall in New Jersey.

Local historians tell WFSB that the tree was planted by Adm. Andrew Hall Foote's Grand Army of the Republic post (the Union of the Republic), a New Haven native and one of President Abraham Lincoln's favorite Civil War admirals. The skeletal remains likely belong to a victim of yellow fever or small pox who was buried between 1799 and 1821.

Headstones had been removed from the Grove Street cemetery, but the bodies were never relocated.

The large oak was planted in honor of the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birthday in 1909.

[Fed-Up_Patriot]

Hey this is nothing new... Happens all the time.. Down here in Florida in the 90s they built an entire neighborhood and elementary school over an old air force bombing range that was used for training well into the late 40s. Problem is they built over completely as it was - unexploded ordinance and all. Seems the large scale developer loved being able to buy the land so unusually cheap from the government.. And if you think about it lots and lots of stuff had to be done to allow this to happen including the complicated rezoning process - which requires board review. When live and unexploded bombs in recent years kept showing on the school playground and under peoples homes including some large ones - investigations started but only after much news publicity. It was amazing - how all parties involved claim amnesia for how this possibly could have happened. Private industry executives, government and military officials all who were involved with this at the time - suddenly got stupid. So far I don't think criminal proceedings have started against a single person for this. And once again it all kind of got swept under the rug. As with the large scale banking and financial fraud you and I ( the US taxpayer ) is paying for the damage..

[sharp_stick]

This is on the green, no houses there. In any area as old as the cities in New England you can bet that old cemeteries are covered up at least once as new development comes in.

Go to England where they think they just found the remains of King Richard III under a parking lot adjacent to city hall.

[Bojax39]

Yup, this kind of thing happens all the time around the world. A particularly botched example is Cheesman Park in Denver Colorado. That happened in 1907 and they are still finding bones.

We have no reason to believe ethics today are any better than they were back then. We've just learned to hide defilement better these days.

[mivenho]

"Headstones had been removed from the Grove Street cemetery, but the bodies were never relocated."
Why would they have treated the dead so disrespectfully?

[gadfly65]

Money is more important to some than respect for humanity, living or dead; it's why we have supreme court justices and a presidential candidate who say that corporations are people.

[Stratocaster1]

Corporations are people. Im sure you know a person working for one. If you work for one and don't like the people, go to work for another where you fit in.

[audemus]

I have to wonder if the realtors bothered telling the prospective home-owners that their houses where built over the remains of 5,000 to 10,000 bodies.

[gadfly65]

Funny - I watched the movie Poltergeist again recently.

[Rhoadsa]

Quick do a DNA test, they finally found Jimmy Hoffa