HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. — Authorities said that human remains found by children playing in Harnett County last week are those of a man who was in a house that burned in December 2003.

The North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office said the victim was a white man in his late 20s to early 30s.

The Harnett County Sheriff's Office said the house, which is located near the intersection of Highway 24 and Calvin Road in the Johnsonville community, was burned in December 2003. The house had been vacant for several years before it was burned, deputies said.

It is not known whether foul play was involved. The Harnett County Sheriff's Office and the Harnett County Fire Marshal's Office are investigating the discovery.

The skeletal remains were discovered on the second floor of the house by children who were playing in the area.