Lexington divers find more bones in a vehicle pulled from the Kentucky River

More bones were found Saturday in part of a vehicle pulled from the Kentucky River, Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said.

The Lexington Fire Department began working near the Valley View Ferry Oct. 22 to pull out some vehicles.

One of them was badly rusted, and when the front half of it was pulled from the river, bony structures from a human foot and ankle were found, Ginn said.

On Saturday, the back half of the car was pulled out, and a right femur, two radiuses and an ulna were found.

Ginn said the Lexington Fire Department dive team and Lexington police have been at the scene.

Dr. Emily Craig, a former state forensic anthropologist who now works with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, has also been there, Ginn said, and the two of them have “a possible person” who might be connected to the remains.

Ginn said samples from the “bony structures” will be sent to a lab for testing, but because of how long they have been in the water, it might not be possible to match DNA from them.

He said it is too early to tell whether the death resulted from foul play.

“At this point I don’t see that,” he said, adding that “it could be that somebody drove into the water.”

He said the vehicle was found 20 to 30 feet from shore, just downstream from the ferry.

Ginn said the foot and ankle bones found earlier were attached to some nylon that might have been from an article of clothing.

In addition to the vehicle in which the bones were found, Ginn said four other vehicles have been pulled out of the river during the operation.

Ginn said officials will determine whether another sweep of the river is needed.

He said Saturday was “a very successful activity that was well-planned and well-executed” by the fire department and its divers.

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Lexington divers find more bones in a vehicle pulled from the Kentucky River."