Human bones discovered in the basement of a New York home have been identified as those of a man who had been missing for nearly six decades, authorities said Wednesday. His death is now being investigated as a homicide.

Police say George Carroll's son and two grandsons found his remains on Oct. 30 while excavating the basement of the home in Lake Grove, New York.

Autopsy results released this week confirmed the remains were of George Carroll and found that his skull had been fractured by blunt force trauma, which may have occurred posthumously, authorities said.

Carroll's son, Michael, 57, is the current homeowner of the property once owned by his father and mother, Dorothy Carroll, who died in 1998. There had long been rumors in the family that George Carroll might be buried in the basement, the police said, citing Carroll family members.

Carroll, a Korean War veteran, had been missing since 1961, authorities said. Dorothy Carroll never gave her four children a straight answer about what happened to their father before her death, police said.

Suffolk County police said no one ever filed a missing-persons report for George Carroll.

Michael Carroll and his two adults sons excavated the basement of the home on suspicion they might find the remains there.