Update on Suspected Human Skull Found at Chelsea Goodwill

Background

On January 26th, the Chelsea Police Department responded to a call from the local Goodwill store about the discovery of a possible human skull within donated clothing. The skull was collected and transported to the Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s office. After examining the skull, the Medical Examiner’s office believes that the skull is human and has sent it to the Anthropology Department at the University of Michigan for further examination, which could take up to 90 days.

The matter became confused when, on February 4th, several Detroit media outlets reported a statement from Goodwill that the skull was not human remains.

“An item was discovered in a donated tote at one of our assisted donation centers, which is a non-retail location,” said Rob Lipski, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland, in a statement. “As a precaution, staff immediately contacted local law enforcement. Authorities reviewed the item, confirmed it was an artifact and not unidentified human remains and have advised they will handle proper disposal. “We appreciate our team following established safety protocols and appropriately working with law enforcement.”

Update

On February 24th, the Chelsea Police Department responded to a Sun Times News inquiry about the determination of the skull by U-M, stating, “The Chelsea Police Department is still awaiting the analysis by the University of Michigan Anthropology Department. The Chelsea Police Department has been told by the Medical Examiner’s office that the skull is believed to be human and has received no information from them to contradict that belief at this time. During the course of the investigation, the Chelsea Police Department has received approximately two dozen tips from the public.”

The Chelsea Police Department has asked for the public’s help and has been working with our law enforcement partners to identify the person who dropped off the skull.

Photo: Goodwill in Chelsea, MI. Photo: Google Street View