Politics & Government

Remains of 'Large Animal' Sparked Sept. 19 Police Investigation, VRE Delays

Testing on remains that halted trains for several hours have not been completed, Manassas Park Mayor said.

It was the remains of a “large animal” found Sept. 19 on the railroad tracks near Manassas Park — not a human — that sparked a police investigation, fears of foul play and an interrupted evening commute for nearly 2,000 people last month.

Manassas Park Mayor Frank Jones said Thursday the exact type of animal that was discovered remains undetermined.

To his knowledge, specific testing on the remains have not been conducted, the mayor added.

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Virginia Railway Express officials said police investigations told them body parts were found on the rails around 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19.

Trains were stopped south of the Burke station around 6:45 p.m. Sept. 19 due to the police investigation.

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VRE officials provided buses to transport riders to their stops and offered voucher for their delay.

They estimate close to 2,000 VRE passengers were affected.


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