Newton County sheriff's deputies are investigating the remains of what appears to be a male, found Sunday evening in woods off Crowell Road.

According to 1st Lt. Mark Mitchell with the Newton County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to Crowell Road just south of the Access Road at 7 p.m. in reference to a body being found in the woods. When they arrived they located the remains of what appeared to be a male who had likely been there for some time.

Mitchell said it is being treated as a death investigation at this time and not a homicide. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab is assisting the sheriff's office at this time and deputies are in the process of notifying next of kin. The identity of the person is being withheld pending that.

"We are treating it as just a death investigation at this time," said Mitchell. "It could change - anything is possible - but I don't see that happening."