A disturbing discovery inside a Canton, Ohio, rental home has raised new questions after investigators found what the Stark County Coroner confirmed were human bones. The discovery came during an investigation that initially began over concerns about severe animal neglect and the conditions inside the property.

Authorities reportedly found hundreds of rats, along with dogs, birds, turtles, garbage, feces, urine and deceased animals throughout the residence. Investigators also discovered a box containing what appeared to be human and animal remains. Officials described the property as unfit for people or animals to live in.

The human remains quickly became a separate investigative question. Officials said the bones appeared to be quite old and dried out, and a forensic anthropologist or the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was expected to examine them. At that stage, authorities had not announced evidence connecting the remains to a homicide.

Two residents, Billy Jack Park, 45, and Kristie Hatton, 41, were charged with multiple animal-cruelty-related offenses. However, those charges were related to the conditions and animals found at the property — not to the human remains.

The condition of the house itself became another major issue. Canton officials condemned the property and said the owner would have to clean and repair it or demolish it because it was considered unfit for occupancy. Rescue organizations also removed the surviving animals from the home.

The key question remains what the forensic examination will reveal about the bones — including who they belonged to and how they came to be inside the house. Until investigators publicly establish those facts, it would be misleading to describe the discovery as proof of a murder or hidden body.

Important: The graphic appears to combine crime-scene imagery and booking photographs. It should not itself be treated as evidence. The confirmed reporting supports the discovery of human bones and the animal-cruelty investigation, but does not establish that the people pictured were responsible for a homicide.