Human Remains Found at Busse Woods During Search for Missing Schaumburg Man

Human remains were found Sunday at Busse Woods North in Elk Grove Village during the search for a Schaumburg man who has been missing for more than a month, the Forest Preserves of Cook County said.

The remains turned up as investigators searched the forest preserve for Anthony Richert, 43, last seen on June 25. Detectives had already found Richert's vehicle at Busse Woods North earlier in the search, which led them to focus on that part of the preserve, located along the border of Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg.

Forest Preserve District Police, which is leading the investigation, has not said whether the remains belong to Richert. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office will handle identification and determine a cause of death, a process that can take days or weeks depending on the condition of the remains and what tests are needed.

Police said they have no reason to believe the public faces any danger. No other details about the discovery, including exactly where within the preserve the remains were located or who found them, have been released.

Busse Woods spans more than 3,700 acres and includes a reservoir, hiking and biking trails, and a wooded elk and deer pasture. It is one of the larger and more heavily used preserves in the Forest Preserves of Cook County system, drawing joggers and cyclists on weekends.

Richert's disappearance had prompted an active search involving Forest Preserve District Police and other law enforcement resources over the past month. Family and friends had been seeking information on his whereabouts since he was last seen in late June. Authorities have not detailed what led investigators to focus their search on Busse Woods North or how his vehicle came to be parked there.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County referred questions about the ongoing investigation to district police. A spokesman confirmed only that the remains were discovered during the search for Richert and that the medical examiner's office would handle formal identification.

Cases involving remains found in Cook County forest preserves typically require forensic testing, including dental records or DNA comparison, before officials release a positive identification. Investigators have not indicated a timeline for when results might be available.

The investigation remains open. Forest Preserve District Police have not released information on potential suspects or said whether they are treating the death as suspicious, pending the medical examiner's findings.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office is expected to release the identity of the remains and a cause of death once testing is complete. Anyone with information about Richert's disappearance or activities before June 25 has been asked to contact investigators.