Human skull left on kitchen counter

Officials unsure as to origin and age of skull found near campus

by Rachel Baye | Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 1:00 am

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Though a few students may have skeletons in their closets, someone seems to have left one behind this summer.

A Campus Apartments manager discovered what he believed might be a human skull in an apartment at 249 S. 49th St. at about 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, according to Officer Jillian Russell.

The skull was found sitting on the kitchen counter during what Campus Apartments spokeswoman Erin Allsman said was a routine cleaning of the apartment.

The Philadelphia medical examiner's office confirmed that the discovered item was in fact a human skull.

However, more information about the skull - including what it was used for and how old it is - will not be available until it has been examined by a forensic anthropologist.

This examination will happen over the course of the next few days, Philadelphia medical examiner's office spokesman Jeff Moran said.

While Russell confirmed that the apartment residents were "college students," she could not confirm whether they were Penn students.

The skull is now at the medical examiner's office undergoing investigation.

Whether a crime was actually committed is unclear, Philadelphia Police Lt. Frank Vanore told The Associated Press.

But Allsman said Campus Apartments is working with the local authorities to determine the skull's origins and purpose.

She reiterated the sentiment of mystery surrounding the discovery. "No one knows at this point what it was from," she said. "Whether it was from something related to a school project or something related to foul play, we have no idea."

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