Oxford, N.C. — Police found some human remains Monday afternoon, a day after a skull was found in a wooded area.

A skull appearing to be that of a human adult was discovered Sunday afternoon behind the Masonic Children's Home at 600 College St., police said.

Officers fanned out from the site Monday to search for more evidence and brought in a cadaver dog to assist in the effort. After a day of searching, they found fragments of what appear to bones scattered within an acre of where the skull turned up, police said, adding that investigators also found a white T-shirt.

Police Chief John Wolford said he believes the skull had been there for at least a year, so investigators have been looking through local missing-person cases in hopes of identifying the skull.

"We have been only able to find one missing persons case that may be related to this," Wolford said. "It turns out that the individual sometime late last summer walked out of the emergency room of Granville Medical Center, which is actually located in front of the large property behind the Masonic Children's Home. Since that time, he has not turned up."

The man was identified as William Allen, who also is known as "Joe." He was 57 when he disappeared last August.

"It's always been in my mind -- where is Joe?" said Arthur Little, a friend of Allen's. "You don't just walk away from life."

Police said the additional remains would assist in DNA analysis to determine if Allen's whereabouts have been determined or if an unsolved homicide has been discovered.

The State Bureau of Investigation is helping Oxford police investigate the case.