Two gruesome Northern Territory finds just days apart

An alarming trend is emerging in one Australian territory after two separate lots of human remains were found in matter of days.

Skeletal remains have been found in the Northern Territory, sparking a second investigation in a matter of days following a separate gruesome discovery.

A crime scene has been set up in the territory’s remote north after what is believed to be a human skull was found 15km north of Katherine.

Northern Territory Police were alerted to the discovery on Tuesday afternoon and established a crime scene soon after.

“Police received information yesterday afternoon from a member of the public, who had located what appeared to be a human skull 15km north of Katherine,” an NT Police statement said.

“Local police attended the scene and a crime scene has been declared.”

Katherine, 320km southeast of Darwin, has a population of just under 11,000 and is the territory’s fourth largest locality.

Police found what is believed to be a human skull not far north of Katherine in the Northern Territory.

It is the NT’s second report of skeletal remains in a week – an unusual occurrence for the territory of just 247,000 people.

Police began a separate criminal investigation on Wednesday last week after human remains, including a completely intact skull, were found near a popular Darwin beach.

A bushwalker made the gruesome discovery under leaf litter at Lee Point Beach, according to Detective Acting Superintendent Karl Day.

“When he took a closer look it was quite clear that it was a skull and from there he’s reported it to police,” Det Supt Day said.

Police quickly established a crime scene where they uncovered a “large number” of other bones in the surrounding area, all reportedly from one person.

A human skeleton was discovered near the Lee Point Beach carpark.

“There’s nothing to indicate more than one body,” Det Supt Day said.

Forensic experts were unable to find any signs of trauma to either the skull or larger bones.

“Obviously all the other bones will be looked at in much more detail but looking at them from the layperson’s point of view and with the experts on the ground, there’s no indication of trauma,” Mr Day said.

Police are urging members of the public with knowledge of either death to come forward and speak to them on 131 444.