ID found with skeletal remains in Gelderland forest, finder says

Theo Vervelde, the 73-year-old man who found skeletal remains in a forested area in Hummelo on Tuesday afternoon, also found an identity card with the remains. He is therefore convinced that the remains are human, he said to De Gelderlander.

The police and Netherlands Forensic Institute are investigating the remains, found in a forest plot on the corner of Zomerweg and Zutphen Emmerikseweg. The police have not yet confirmed whether the remains are human.

Vervelde made the gruesome discovery around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. He noticed that there were strangely many pheasants in the forest this week, and when he went to check it out he saw a large, white bone. Soon after he found a wallet, with an identity card in it, he said to the newspaper.

An online search for missing people in the vicinity of Hummelo led him to the name Ger Homma. Homma disappeared in 2010 from a shelter for homeless people. He was 60 years old at the time.

Passion, a home that offers temporary shelter for homeless people, is located a few hundred meters from the discovery site. Director Luuk Krol told the newspaper that he understands why the discovery was linked to Passion. "But the police have told us that it can take a while before there is clarity about the origin of the skeletal remains. We should not draw any premature conclusions. We also want to prevent unnecessary unrest in our home, but also in the neighborhood."