FRANKLIN, Venango County — State police say a man has been arrested in the suspicious death investigation of a female whose remains were discovered last week at a home in Polk.

Trooper Keith Johnson, a criminal investigator at the Franklin station who is leading the investigation, confirmed Sunday the man is in custody in Missouri.

But he would not identify the man or say what charge or charges the suspect faces.

Venango County District Attorney Shawn White could not be reached for comment.

The investigation began about 9:20 p.m. Thursday when police were called to make a welfare check at a home on Hillcrest Avenue in Polk.

Police got inside and found a decomposing body in the living room.

Because of the decomposition, investigators have not yet identified the female.

Venango County Coroner Christina Rugh said an autopsy performed Friday was unable to determine identification, or a cause or manner of death.

Johnson said it appeared the female had been dead “for weeks.”

He acknowledged the remains could be those of Salina Chilson, 38, of Emlenton, who was last reported seen July 3. He would not elaborate.

“There's a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing to an identification,” Rugh admitted. She, too, would not comment further.

Dennis Dirkmaat, a forensic anthropologist at Mercyhurst College in Erie, is assisting in the investigation.

Dirkmaat and a team of graduate students helped in the recovery of the remains Friday at the home.

He said he's been asked to analyze the bones for identification purposes.

“Our role will be to look at the skeletal remains,” he said, adding that the team will “try to come up with a biological profile.”

Specifically, his study will look to assess the woman's age, height and ancestry.

The bones also will be evaluated for evidence of possible trauma that could have caused her death.

Additionally, according to Dirkmaat, a forensic dentist may be called in to examine the teeth from the remains and compare them to dental records on file.

DNA analysis is another option that could help investigators identify the remains.