Bryan County Sheriff’s Detective David Ellis said an investigation into human bones found in Ellabell on Nov. 25 identified them as the remains of Savannah resident Roy Robert Barbaris Jr., a 40-year-old white male.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation helped BCSD identify the body through dental records.

"As of right now, the cause of death is undetermined until we get final word from the medical examiner and anthropologist in Atlanta," Ellis said. "We may never know what happened here as we don’t have a lot to go on, but we’ll have a better idea once the full report comes in."

The bones were found in a heavily wooded area by a nearby property owner on Wade Carter Road, near the 400 block

Ellis said there is no deadline set for the results, but he is confident for a thorough investigation as "one of the top five anthropologists in the nation" just began work on studying the remains.