The skeletons at a former Hitler base were too decayed to determine who they were and how they died

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish prosecutors have dropped an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders stayed during World War II because their advanced deterioration made it impossible to determine the cause of death to investigate, a spokesman said Monday.

The remains were found on February 24 at Wolf’s Lair, which served as Hitler’s headquarters from 1941 to 1944, when the area was part of Germany. The site of around 200 Nazi bunkers and military barracks, hidden in deep forests, was the scene of the failed assassination attempt on Hitler by Colonel Claus Stauffenberg on July 20, 1944. The site is now a tourist attraction.

Spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in the nearby town of Ketrzyn, Daniel Brodowski, said police officers seized the remains after they were found by a local group, Latebra, that searches for historical objects.

A forensic expert examined it under the supervision of the public prosecutor, who wanted to determine whether it was a case of homicide. The investigation was closed at the end of March because there was no evidence that a crime had been committed, Brodowski told The Associated Press in an emailed statement.

“The expert stated that the preserved bone remains were of human origin and came from at least four individuals, three of whom were most likely middle-aged men and the fourth was a multi-year-old child whose gender cannot be determined,” Brodowski wrote.

However, due to the advanced deterioration of the remains, it is no longer possible to determine the cause of death, he said, noting that at least several dozen years have passed.

Due to the condition of the remains and the passage of time, the investigation did not address who the individuals might have been.