JACKSON, Miss. -- A headless body has been found after the head of a young black man was discovered on the front steps of a Mississippi home.

A resident discovered human remains in an open field around 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance said in a news conference. The remains were located about a mile from where the severed head was found hours earlier that day, CBS affiliate WJTV reports.

Police say the body was severely burned and the victim couldn't be immediately identified.

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"I've got to admit I've never seen anything like this," Vance said.

Cmdr. Tyree Jones says authorities do not yet have a motive for the killing. Asked whether it might be gang-related, he refused to speculate. He had previously said just finding the head earlier wasn't typical of a homicide scene.

Jones told WJTV that this is now the 28th homicide in Jackson this year.

One resident told WJTV that he believes the homicide was intended as a message. "It's an awful thing, can't put it in words, it's sad, but it's true," he said.