Officers investigating the discovery of human remains in a wooded area of western New York came across a second body nearby, the Chautauqua County Sheriff�s Office said Tuesday.

It�s not yet known whether the finds are connected.

The first body, believed to be female, appeared to have gone undetected for much longer than the body found later, the sheriff�s office said. The gender of the second body was not immediately known.

Both were sent to a lab in Erie, Pennsylvania for analysis.

Sheriff James Quattrone told The Post-Journal of Jamestown that it was too early to tell if the discoveries were related, but he characterized the finds as suspicious.

The investigation began after a hiker found a human skull Sunday. Investigators found the second body during a follow-up search Monday.

The remains were found in the vicinity of the Alison Wells Ney Nature Trail, a 5.7-mile path along a former rail corridor in Portland.

(AP)