BEATRICE, NEB. - The Gage County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of part of a human skull at the Mennonite Church, about three miles west of Beatrice.

The sheriff's office says members of the church first discovered the item and upon arrival on scene, just before 8:00 p.m. Wednesday. After excavation, the item was able to be taken from the ground. An archeologist from the Nebraska State Historical Society, who has worked with the Gage County Sheriff’s Office on previous cases, was contacted and tentatively identified the item as part of a human skull.

The sheriff's office notes the item is not associated with any open or active cases and appears to have been moved up through the ground by nearby tree roots.

The Gage County Attorney’s Office was contacted and the remains will be turned over to the Nebraska State Historical Society for further identification, checking for Native American ties, and final burial.