The mummified body of a man was found inside of a wall at the old Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office confirmed late Wednesday.
Crews have been working for a couple of years to bring life back into the building, which has been closed since 2005.
A construction worker found the body on the west side of the building near the concert hall, behind drywall and between two concrete pillars, police said.
“The cavity where the individual was found was approximately 15 inches in width and 12 inches in height,” said Lieutenant Frederick Shavies of the Oakland Police Department.
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Based on evidence found at the scene, Shavies said the victim is a male and probably died a long time ago, giving the remains a chance to sink down into a small space.
“There were no obvious signs of trauma observed,” he said. “There were no cracks or fractures in any of the bones.”
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The victims' hands and feet were not bound and clothes were found nearby.
“I think this was a tragic case where someone lost their life, some family lost a loved one,” said Shavies.
Police are looking into missing person cases and hope DNA or dental records can help them solve this very strange mystery.
The remains have been recovered by the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau, officials said.
No other information was immediately available.
