Saturday, Jun. 23, 2001

Kennewick Man's bones go to feds today

By the Herald staff

Federal anthropologists are scheduled to collect today what are believed to be parts of Kennewick Man's femur bones, found Thursday at the Benton County Sheriff's Office.

Coroner Floyd Johnson, who discovered the cardboard box that apparently went misplaced three years ago, examined the contents Friday. Johnson said there appeared to be a match after comparing the bones and their packaging with photos taken before they were misplaced.

In the meantime, he said the Federal Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the situation for negligence, but Johnson said he isn't worried.

"It was just a mix-up," he said.

The rest of the 9,200-year-old bones are being housed in the Burke Museum in Seattle while their fate is determined in a federal courtroom.