A Butler County case about unidentified human remains finally has a breakthrough.“It was a disturbing case at first because we didn’t know what we were dealing with,” Lt. Dave Tivin said.Four years ago, West Chester police combed a wooded area off Tylersville Road after three boys stumbled upon human bones.The boys said they saw what they thought were animal bones sticking out of the snow, but they quickly knew they needed to tell their parents and call police.“For me, it wasn’t until the smell kicked in where I was like, 'This is questionable. It doesn’t seem right,'” Parker Wilhelm, 18, said.Until now, the remains have been a mystery. Even a computer-generated sketch didn’t bring results. However, the identity of the remains was revealed Thursday and the mystery solved with the help of forensic genealogy. Police identified the victim as Darlene Wilson Norcross, 61 -- a West Chester resident.“The cold case never really went cold because we were always working some angle on it,” Butler County Coroner Lisa Mannix said.Norcross was estranged from her family and was never reported missing by any relatives or friends.The three boys who found the bones in 2015 said they are happy the case moved forward. “Our biggest concern was closure for the family,” Wilhelm said.The cause, time and manner of death are still undetermined.

A Butler County case about unidentified human remains finally has a breakthrough.

“It was a disturbing case at first because we didn’t know what we were dealing with,” Lt. Dave Tivin said.

Advertisement Related Content Coroner: Skull, remains found in West Chester belonged to a woman

Four years ago, West Chester police combed a wooded area off Tylersville Road after three boys stumbled upon human bones.

The boys said they saw what they thought were animal bones sticking out of the snow, but they quickly knew they needed to tell their parents and call police.

“For me, it wasn’t until the smell kicked in where I was like, 'This is questionable. It doesn’t seem right,'” Parker Wilhelm, 18, said.

Until now, the remains have been a mystery. Even a computer-generated sketch didn’t bring results. However, the identity of the remains was revealed Thursday and the mystery solved with the help of forensic genealogy. Police identified the victim as Darlene Wilson Norcross, 61 -- a West Chester resident.

“The cold case never really went cold because we were always working some angle on it,” Butler County Coroner Lisa Mannix said.

Norcross was estranged from her family and was never reported missing by any relatives or friends.

The three boys who found the bones in 2015 said they are happy the case moved forward.

“Our biggest concern was closure for the family,” Wilhelm said.

The cause, time and manner of death are still undetermined.