OTHELLO, Wash. (AP) - A human skeleton, likely that of an adult, has been found in an orchard about 15 miles south of this Adams County town, and the death is being investigated as a homicide, Sheriff Douglas Barger says.

A skull was spotted early Monday morning by a worker at Saddle Mountain Orchard off State Route 24 about 20 miles north of the Tri-Cities, and the rest of the remains and some clothing were unearthed by a team from the Washington State Patrol crime laboratory in Cheney, Barger said.

The worker was preparing to work on an underground irrigation line, the sheriff said.

"There's no indication he started digging," Barger said, "but it would have been right where he needed to."

The remains were sent to the King County medical examiner's office for an autopsy and examination by a forensic anthropologist to try to determine the cause of death, identity and other details. Barger said he hoping to get preliminary results of the investigation Thursday.

He said there had not been any recent missing person reports in the county, and other law enforcement agencies in the area were being consulted.

Nearly a year ago a child's skull was found off U.S. Highway 395 south of Ritzville about 35 miles from where the skeleton was discovered. The identity of the child was never determined, and Barger said there appeared to be no connection between the two cases.

Missing children in the area include Sophia Juarez, 5, of Kennewick, who vanished in 2003, and Cody Haynes, 11, of Kittitas, who was reported missing two years ago.