Published: March 25, 2006 02:04 pm      

Body found in rural area close to Clayton

Officials are investigating a series of bones discovered in a rural area near Pushmataha County.

“Right now we are working on the assumption they’re human,” said Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Pushmataha County Sheriff Jim Duncan said a logger found the bones Thursday night. “They appear to be human, but it will be a few days before we know anything for sure.

“I’m not an expert pathologist, but to me they appear human.”

Brown said the state medical examiner’s office is examining the bones to determine if they are human and, if so, if they can be identified.

“We had several young men go missing in a relatively short time up on the northern end of the county,” Duncan said.

Brown said as far as she knows, the cases remain open.

Jeffrey Lee Ben has been missing since Jan. 29, 2001, when his truck missed a turn on Nine Pines Road and hit a tree. Authorities found minor damage to the truck, but no blood and no sign of Ben.

Joe David Key, who at 33 years old was partially paralyzed and partially blind, was last seen in Talihina on Feb. 12, 2001.

Another man, Darrell Hammons, has also been missing since 2001, the sheriff said.