Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook told reporters during a Friday news conference that they had made the grisly discovery at the home in the 1500 block of County Road 315, according to NBC affiliate WTLV.

Cook told the network: “We’ve uncovered what could potentially be human remains. I do not know how long these remains have been there, other than they have been there for a while.”

She added the home invasion suspect, Aubrey Lumpkin, 46, claimed he buried someone in the area.

Cook told WTLV: “Mr. Lumpkin made a lot of statements that night and we’re taking every statement he made and running it down.”

The remains have not yet been identified, according to WTLV.

It represents a significant development in a case where an elderly couple was tied up and held captive in the same home.

According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), Lumpkin allegedly broke into the home and held the couple hostage.

Cook told reporters on Tuesday that Lumpkin called officers on April 11 and told them he “needed to confess something.”

According to WTLV, Lumpkin told police: “I’m a piece of s***. I need medical attention out here for this elderly couple. I’m turning myself in.”

Cook added Lumpkin had repeatedly said he buried someone in the house

When police arrived, they found the couple had been tied up in the back of the house and had been there for two days.

Shortly after being found, emergency services were called and the couple was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The couple was found to be malnourished, dehydrated and suffered from infections, according to NBC affiliate WFLA.

CCSO inmate information said Lumpkin had been arrested on April 11 and charged with home invasion with a firearm or other deadly weapon.

It added he is due in court on May 16 and is currently being held on a $200,006 bond.

Newsweek has contacted the CCSO for comment.

Earlier this year, Newsweek reported on a case where human remains were found in the Orlando area after a woman went missing on February 26.

Julie Noppinger, 37, of Oviedo, was last seen at a Walmart Super Center on 11250 E Colonial Drive in the city.

In a Wednesday, March 23 statement, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement: “We are saddened to report that Julie’s vehicle has been found in a parking lot on E. Colonial Dr in Orlando.

“Human remains were also located nearby but have not yet been positively identified.”