Florida investigators are examining a possible human skull donated to Jericho Ministries Thrift Store in Brooksville on May 16; the item was dropped off between 11 a.m. and noon. Detectives are asking the public to help identify the donor after the item, which may have been mistaken for a novelty prop, appears to be genuine. The find echoes a 2023 Fort Myers case where a skull was estimated to be about 75 years old and not linked to suspicious activity. Authorities remind the public that selling human remains is illegal in Florida and are requesting tips.
Human Skull Donated To Brooksville Thrift Store Prompts Investigation; Officials Seek Public Help
Mystery deepens after human skull discovered at Florida thrift store. It’s not the first time
Florida investigators are probing the donation of what appears to be a real human skull to the Jericho Ministries Thrift Store in Brooksville on May 16. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said the item was dropped off between 11 a.m. and noon and may have been donated alongside other goods.
Florida officials are looking for answers after a real, human skull was donated to a thrift store last month (Getty Images)
Investigation Underway
Detectives are asking the public to help identify the person or persons who left the skull and any accompanying items. Officials noted the item may have been mistaken for a novelty prop but appears to be human; investigators are working to determine its origin and whether any laws were violated.
An anthropologist discovered this skull at a Florida thrift store in 2023 (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Similar Case From 2023
The discovery recalls a 2023 finding in Fort Myers, when anthropologist Michelle Calhoun spotted a human skull hidden among Halloween decorations at a thrift store. Lee County investigators later confirmed that skull was real; forensic examiners estimated it was roughly 75 years old and found no obvious signs of trauma. That earlier case was described as not suspicious in nature, and the store owner said the skull had been located in a storage unit the shop had purchased years earlier.
Calhoun suggested the remains might have belonged to a young Native American woman, though it was not clear if that assessment was formally confirmed. In the previous case a store employee later placed the skull on display and priced it at $4,000.
Legal Context And Public Appeal
Florida law prohibits knowingly buying or selling human organs or tissue, including bones, for valuable consideration. Hernando County detectives are urging anyone with information about the May 16 donation or the person or people who dropped off the items to contact the sheriff's office.
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