The Southeast Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s office is working to determine the identity and cause of death of human remains found Thursday afternoon.

According to Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik, a private party notified the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office about human remains found at around noon on Thursday in a remote area in or near Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park. The remains were in a skeletonized state, making identification inconclusive.

The remains were collected and transported to the Southeast Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy; however, no identification had been made as of Friday morning.

The Mower County Sheriff’s Office is working closely with the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office in the event the remains belong to Steven John Holm, a 35-year-old LeRoy man who was reported missing on Aug. 7. A vehicle registered to Holm was found on or about Aug. 2 at the Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park.

Sandvik said law enforcement is not rushing to any conclusions about the remains possibly belonging to Holm.

“We have to operate on absolute facts,” he said. “Based on what has been found, we can make no conclusions.”