Skull said old for woman lost in river

A human skull found in the Red River on Monday is not likely that of a woman who drowned in February, Arkansas Game and Fish officials said.

A cattle farmer reported the skull Monday to Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton. The farmer told authorities that dove hunters discovered it while hunting on a sandbar near his property.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Capt. Jackie Runion said Tuesday that the human skull was "not likely" to be that of Janice Northcross, who fell or jumped from the bridge and into the river on Feb. 8 to avoid an oncoming vehicle. Northcross has not been found.

The human skull was discovered 6 miles south of the Interstate 30 bridge where it crosses from Miller County to Hempstead County, Runion said.

"That would be in the right direction of where she would be found, but investigators don't feel like it's going to be Janice Northcross. The skull seems to be too old," Runion said.

Hempstead County and Arkansas State Police investigators also found a piece of blue clothing about 200 feet away from the human skull. The items will be sent to the state Crime Laboratory for identification.

On Feb. 8, Northcross was standing standing on the eastbound side of the I-30 bridge, helping her sister, Katherine Burris, 41, direct traffic around the disabled vehicle of their co-worker Ricky Norwood. As a jack-knifed tractor-trailer was barreling toward them, Norwood said he and Northcross jumped into the river. Norwood swam to safety, but Northcross was never found.

Metro on 09/10/2014

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