Northern Idaho human remains could be 200 years old

UPDATE: Northern Idaho authorities say human remains found at a construction site are no longer the focus of a criminal investigation because the bones are from 50 to 200 years old.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department in a statement Thursday says it has no unsolved cases dating back that far.

Officer Mario Rios says a private lab in Seattle determined the age of the bones that were found Tuesday afternoon not far from the city’s public library in Coeur d’Alene.

Rios says the police department contacted the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and State Historic Preservation Office to decide what to do with the bones.

Rios says the police department meanwhile has custody of the remains.

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Northern Idaho officials say workers preparing a site for new construction found human bones.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department tells the Coeur d’Alene Press that workers found the bones Tuesday afternoon not far from the city’s public library.

Authorities have released few details other than to confirm the bones are human.

Police say they will be processing the scene for several days as part of their investigation.