Discovered human remains identified

Just short of two weeks after having been unearthed, the skeletal remains discovered by mushroom hunters in Brown County have been identified.

The remains are those of Kate McGrayel, a then 26-year-old IU alumna who left for a hike in April 2010, and never returned.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office was contacted the afternoon of April 11 in reference to possible human remains discovered in a wooded area near Wise Hollow Road, southwest of Nashville, Ind. Nashville is located about 20 miles east of Bloomington.

Brown County Sherriff's Office officials confirmed the identification Thursday.

The mushroom hunters found a skull and various clothing items. At the time of the discovery, little was known about the remains, although one thing was clear: the remains had laid undisturbed for about two years.

On April 22, 2010, Jim McGrayel, Kate’s father, contacted an acquaintance of the 26-year-old to inquire if his daughter had been in touch, according to case report. Jim advised the acquaintance that Kate had been missing for 20 days at that point.

The acquaintance notified Brown County authorities of the phone call. Kate’s mother informed authorities that Kate had left 10 days earlier and had not returned.

Brown County Sheriff’s Office officials contacted Kate’s mother, who she had been living with at the time. Kate was officially listed as a missing person that evening, according to the report. Although a cause of death has yet to be determined, foul play is not suspected.