Police have discovered two containers with human remains in a backyard in suburban Chicago

LYONS, Ill. -- Police discovered two containers Saturday in a backyard in suburban Chicago, a few days after a man told investigators that the bodies of his mother and sister were buried there years ago.

The man and a brother were also arrested, though no charges were filed while police try to confirm the identities of the remains, said Lyons Police Chief Tom Herion.

Autopsies were planned. Herion called it a “sad situation."

The investigation began after officers were called to conduct a wellness check Thursday at the home in Lyons, 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Chicago. Officers found the home filled with debris and feces and no running water. The two brothers were living there.

Herion said one brother disclosed that their mother, who was in her 70s, had died in 2015 after their sister pushed her down stairs. The man said the sister died in 2019 after an illness.

Herion quoted a brother as saying the bodies were buried in the yard for financial reasons. The state has no record of the women’s deaths.

The brothers were staying at a hotel while police worked at the property Friday. During the dig, and before their arrest, they were sitting in chairs under a tree down the street, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events