A human skull donated to a Goodwill in Chelsea, Michigan, back in January was not a medical or teaching specimen as some initially assumed, police now say, and forensic testing has determined it belonged to a Black woman between 20 and 49 years old at the time of her death. The case has since been handed off to the FBI for further testing, with investigators still working to figure out who she was and who left her skull at a thrift store donation bin.
The discovery dates back to January 26, when someone reported a suspicious item at the drop-off location behind the Goodwill in the 1100 block of South Main Street, according to CBS News Detroit. Chelsea police responded and found what appeared to be a human skull, wrapped in a shirt and carrying traces of adherent soil. The station describes the skull as well-preserved, skeletonized, and dry.
Store employees initially believed the item might have been a synthetic decorative prop, and Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland publicly stated that law enforcement had told them the skull was a man-made artifact rather than real human remains, according to Patch. That early assessment did not hold up. Full anthropological testing later confirmed the skull was authentic human bone, and police now say it was not a medical or teaching specimen either.
Surveillance Footage Shows Two Women Leaving in an SUV
Shortly after the January donation, Chelsea police released details from surveillance footage in hopes someone would recognize the person who dropped off the skull. The footage captured a woman in her late 40s to early 50s with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing black pants, a black coat, and sunglasses, as reported by ClickOnDetroit. She left the store in a dark gray four-door SUV driven by a second woman of similar age and description. Chelsea police are still working to identify the individual who dropped off the skull…