From Trussville Tribune staff reports
JEFFERSON COUNTY — The skeletal remains found last week by a squirrel hunter in Jefferson County have been identified.
According to Carol Robinson, the remains belong to Derek Washington, a 23-year-old father of two, who was last seen in the Wylam community on April 3, 2015.
Deputies were called to a residence on Shady Grove Road on Jan. 29 around 3:30 p.m. to investigate a report of human remains being found nearby. Deputies were told a man was squirrel hunting in the area and had discovered what he believed to be human skeletal remains.
The deputies verified that the remains were human, left in a densely overgrown area near a vacant house in the 5300 block of Wood Avenue. A detective and an evidence technician were dispatched to the scene. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office was also notified.
The investigation is being handled by the Birmingham Police Department.