Investigators have made a preliminary identification of 9 bones found in a field in Brandon.

Detectives believe the bones may be the remains of a man who was reported missing in November 2011.

The detectives preliminary identification is also based on other personal items recovered at the scene.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the first bone was discovered in a field off of Providence Lakes Boulevard by a person walking a dog at a construction site south of Lumsden Road in Brandon.

“A citizen walking his dog discovered a bone, sticking out of a dirt pile at a construction site,” said Larry McKinnon, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators have determined that the bone is a femur, or thigh bone, but they don't know whether it came from a male or female.

“The anthropologists will be able to come up with some type of idea, we might even be looking at some artifact where someone died hundreds of years ago. It’s still not clear. We’ll err on the side of caution that it’s a current recent bone,” McKinnon said.

Investigators don’t believe a body was dumped there though. The dirt on the construction site was transported from another place but it doesn’t comfort neighbors who live right behind the active scene.

“Can’t believe something like this would happen. I was just watching Law and Order,” said Toneda Randle, laughing. “Really bizarre to me, to hear something like that out here.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct DNA testing.

Authorities secured the site Saturday and members of the sheriff's office, along with USF and county maintenance personnel, have been searching for additional remains since the weekend. A total of nine bones have been found.

At the dig site, authorities discovered clothing, including a tennis shoe, and a cell phone. Investigators determined who the cell phone belonged to, linking the evidence to a man who has been missing since November 2011, though the DNA has not been officially confirmed with his identity.