In disbelief while cutting grass – Walter Stephens found the skull of who the Bexar County Medical Examiners have determined to be 30-year-old Austin Wyrosdick.
SAN ANTONIO — What started as a routine landscaping job took a disturbing turn for a local plumbing employee, who stumbled upon a human skull behind his workplace on North San Jacinto Street.
Walter Stephens, who works for Harrell Commercial Plumbing, said he was cutting grass near the business when something unusual caught his eye.
“I picked it up. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is not…’ I thought it was a cantaloupe or something,” Stephens said. “It’s one of those crazy things.”
Upon closer inspection, Stephens noticed teeth on the object and quickly alerted his boss, who contacted police.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the skull belonged to 30-year-old Austin Thomas Wyrosdick. Investigators also found additional remains scattered near the creek behind the business.
“There were all kinds of cops here,” Stephens said. “They ended up finding the rest of the remains around the creek – that’s Martinez Creek right there.”
Police have not released details about how Wyrosdick’s remains ended up in the area. Stephens said the skull, which appeared sun-bleached and had no tissue left, was not there earlier that day.
“It was a crazy experience,” he said.
Stephens says the skull was found near dishes that were used for feeding stray dogs, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding the discovery.
“It’s sad, but it was good I found him,” Stephens reflected. The incident, he added, gave him pause about life’s unpredictability.
“Once you start getting down, then you stay down. All depressed. It’s not worth it. Just got to stay happy.”
SAPD says the investigation remains ongoing.