ATKINSON — At about 10 p.m. yesterday, it appeared state police removed a body from the woods in the Settlers Ridge neighborhood, a burned body discovered by a resident out walking seven hours earlier.
But state police weren’t talking and wouldn’t confirm the body had been removed.
Two all-terrain vehicles emerged from the woods late last night, one towing a trailer that appeared to have a body in it. But a state police detective at the scene would not comment.
Shortly after, many of the lights that had been visible in the woods since sunset went out and a number of police officers left the scene.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she goes for walks in the woods by her home on Pentucket Court often. At about 3 p.m. yesterday, she said she walked off the path by a pond to investigate a noise and saw something strange.
“I saw something that hadn’t been there before,” she said. “It looked like a car part or something. As I got closer, I saw it was a body. I saw the arm sticking up and then a leg. I realized I was alone in the woods and turned around. I ran and called the police.”
Atkinson and New Hampshire State Police responded quickly and cordoned off the area at the top of the path. Atkinson police Chief Philip Consentino said they couldn’t yet determine how the person had died, but the state police Major Crimes Unit was investigating.
“We’re not sure exactly what it is, but the individual has been burned,” he said. “We cannot identify the person at this time.”
Neighbors gathered outside and traded information as more than 10 police and fire vehicles filled the cul-de-sac and a news helicopter flew overhead.
Saul Kerem, who lives in Pentucket Court, said everyone knows each other in the neighborhood and he didn’t think the body was anyone who lives there.
Copyright 2012 Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. (CNHI)All Rights Reserved
