Photo by M.J. Stafford

The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police K-9 units will be conducting a general search of the Rails to Trails system throughout the county this morning following last week’s discovery of human remains in the town of Portland.

In a message posted to Facebook, the Sheriff’s Office said, “We respectfully request the public avoid the area throughout the day. We will update when our search is complete.”

A hiker came across remains Sept. 26 near a portion of the Rails to Trails system off Woleben Road in Portland. While excavating the site, a second set of human remains were recovered Sept. 27. Both sets are being analyzed by forensic experts in Erie, Pa.

“We are just doing a precautionary check of the trails on the area,” Sheriff James Quattrone told the OBSERVER, noting that there was no new information regarding the discovery of the remains. “Looking for any potential evidence or additional leads.”