TRENTON, Mich. – Police are investigating after an apparent human skull was found in a fire pit at a Trenton home this week.
Trenton and Michigan State Police responded to the home in the 5500 block of Wilson Street at about 7 p.m. on Monday to assist with a homicide investigation, officials said.
Police believe that the skull found in the fire pit is human but are waiting for confirmation from an anthropologist. Officials say they have no reason to believe that there is more than one body at the site.
During the investigation neighbors reportedly told police that there was a large bonfire at the Trenton home sometime in March.
Police say the home used to be occupied by Mark Alan Eberly, 57, of Wyandotte and a woman. The woman’s information was not provided. Police are currently trying to locate her and have been unable to as of Tuesday.
Officials believe that the bonfire at the home in March is in some way connected to the woman that resided there with Eberly.
New owners closed on the home in May and police say they are cooperating with the investigation.
Eberly recently died during a shootout with police in Crossville, Tennessee, officials say. On June 27 police were reportedly responding to a suspicious person call when Eberly allegedly shot a deputy in the chest, who then returned fire on the man.
Eberly, in a vehicle at the time, traveled a short distance and came to a stop, police say. Law enforcement teams made numerous unsuccessful attempts to make contact with Eberly. After deploying chemical weapons and advancing on the vehicle, they found Eberly to be dead.
Officials say Eberly had previously encountered Tennessee police and was arrested on June 19 for driving on a revoked license and resisting arrest. Officials say he told police that he was from Wyandotte, Michigan and was homeless at the time.
Check back with Local 4 News as we share more details on this developing story.
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