Manhasset, New York — A routine high school track run through a Long Island park took a disturbing turn Thursday evening when a teenage runner spotted human skeletal remains in brush near the trail, potentially providing a breakthrough in the disappearance of a 79-year-old woman who has been missing for nearly a year.

The discovery was made around 5:45 p.m. at Plandome Pond Park, where a local high school track team was running along trails near the train tracks.

According to the Nassau County Police Department, the student who spotted the remains is an Eagle Scout and immediately alerted authorities.

Teen Runner Spots Remains During Track Practice

The discovery happened as the team made its way through the park. Plandome Heights Mayor Kenneth Riscica described how the teenager came across the remains while running with the group.

“They were running adjacent to the train tracks, and they were coming through to the park. He discovered the remains,” Riscica told the outlet.

Police quickly responded to the area and began investigating the identity and circumstances surrounding the remains.

Authorities are now examining whether the discovery could be connected to the disappearance of Shi Hua Xu, a 79-year-old grandmother who vanished from her home in nearby Great Neck in December 2025.

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Xu had been missing for months after disappearing from Great Neck.

According to reports, Xu suffered from dementia and frequently went for walks around her neighborhood. She had been seen walking in Great Neck before she disappeared and was the subject of an extended search by her family.

One potentially significant detail is that Xu was not wearing her tracking device on the day she disappeared, making it more difficult for her family and authorities to determine where she had gone.

Her family continued searching for her in hopes of finding answers. Now, investigators are examining whether the remains discovered at the park could finally provide those answers.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said investigators believe the remains are those of a female and were working to determine the person’s identity.

“It is a female. We are looking to positively identify the body by the end of the day. We don’t believe it to be criminal in nature,” Ryder told the outlet.

Clothing Could Provide an Important Clue

Investigators have already received a potentially important lead. According to the report, Xu’s family positively identified a piece of clothing recovered near the remains as belonging to her.

That identification could strengthen the connection between the remains and the missing woman, but authorities still need definitive confirmation.

The medical examiner’s office is awaiting DNA testing to establish a positive identification. Until those results are complete, investigators have not officially confirmed that the remains belong to Xu.

Police are also continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the death and discovery.

Teen Says He Hopes Discovery Brings Closure

Despite the disturbing nature of what he encountered, the teenager who discovered the remains reportedly remained calm when questioned by detectives.

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Riscica said the teen told investigators that he was doing fine and expressed hope that the discovery could finally give answers to a family that had spent months searching for their loved one.

Riscica recalled the exchange:

“When the detectives asked him how he was doing, his response was ‘I’m doing fine. I only hope this brings closure to a family that lost someone’,” Riscica said.

The teenager’s discovery could ultimately prove significant if DNA testing confirms the remains belong to Xu.

For Xu’s family, a positive identification would bring an end to months of uncertainty, although it would also raise difficult questions about what happened after she disappeared.

For now, investigators are waiting for the medical examiner’s findings before making a definitive identification.

Do you think the discovery could finally solve the mystery surrounding Shi Hua Xu’s disappearance? Share your thoughts in the comments as investigators await the DNA results.