Mississippi authorities are investigating two separate crime scenes after the gruesome discoveries of a severed head and a headless body nearby in Jackson.

The head was found Saturday morning on the front porch of a home, Jackson Police Cmdr. Tyree Jones told CNN. It appeared to have been cut off at the neck, he said.

A few hours later, a headless burned body was discovered less than a mile away, according to Jones.

Both sets of remains are only identified as those of a black male.

Residents told CNN affiliate WLBT that the body was found by a group of children in a wooded area.

Jackson police are waiting for the coroner and medical examiner to determine whether the head and body belong to the same person.

"Due to the type of crime and the proximity of the body parts, we can assume perhaps this is the remains that were attached to the head," Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance said.

Police have not determined the motive in the case and would not say whether the killing is gang-related.

"Obviously, rage was an ingredient, perhaps some type of message sending," Vance said.