JACKSON, Miss.- A cleaning crew removing and burning trash at a recently purchased home in Mississippi made a startling discovery - a body wrapped in a blue tarp.

Authorities say the remains inside the empty house in Jackson were too decomposed to determine a gender.

News outlets reported Thursday that police don't know how long the remains were there and are investigating the case as a suspicious death.

Hinds County coroner Sharon Grisham Stewart told police it appears the person had suffered possible trauma to the head.

Police Cmdr. Tyree Jones says the previous homeowner has been located and will be asked for any information that can be provided. He says police will canvass the neighborhood and attempt to identify the remains.