BRADENTON --It’s a mystery investigators hope to put to rest.
Bradenton Police Department detectives recently found the partial remains of a human skull in an unmarked box with the word “Skull” in caps underlined twice. The box was in the corner of the homicide evidence room at the police department dating back 36 years ago.
There is no police report packaged with the remains.
The only detail came from an FBI lab invoice that read, “examination of portion of human skull discovered in four inches of water near Bradenton on Sept. 28, 1974.”
The skull has since remained wrapped in yellow faded newspaper since 1974. It’s not labeled as any part of a homicide investigation even though it is stored in the homicide evidence room, said Bradenton Police Lt. John Affolter.
The skull was discovered by detectives as they were “going through old homicide evidence to see what’s viable to continue with cold case homicide investigations,” he said.
“The detectives are now trying to do some background to see if there is any missing person,” he said.
Because the police department does not keep records dating back to the 1970s, they plan to use newspaper clippings as a way to help research who the remains possibly belong to.
Investigators at the police department originally sent the skull off for forensic testing to the FBI after the skull was found and it was mailed back Oct. 21, 1974, according to the evidence receipt.
The lower half of the skull is missing with no teeth remaining. There are no obvious signs of trauma.
Curt Mayfield, who oversees the evidence room and has worked at the department for about 15 years, said stories told throughout the department over the years describe the skull belonging to an elderly man who wandered away from a nursing home.
But for now, the sex and age of the person remains unknown.
“Let’s see what we can do to solve it,” Affolter said noting it’s unclear what the circumstances were surrounding the skull.
Investigators now plan to send the skull to a Florida Department of Enforcement lab for carbon dating.
Anyone with any information about the remains can contact Affolter at 932-9303.
Beth Burger, Herald staff writer, can be reached 745-7919.
