Halloween Fun

[Jim Richards]

Some folks sure get into the spirit of this holiday.


Tucson airport personnel find skull in luggage
Posted: Oct 8, 2008 03:50 PM EDT





TUCSON, AZ - Tucson International Airport security were greeted with quite the surprise Wednesday morning when they discovered a human skull in the piece of checked luggage.

On Wednesday, TSA screeners were scanning the luggage that was going on American Airlines flight 690 destined for Philadelphia. When they found the skull TSA immediately contacted supervisors and law enforcement.

Captain John Ivanoff says "We looked at it further and tried to determine who it belonged to and why it was there?"

The female passenger who owned the luggage had already boarded her flight, but was pulled off by security personnel for questioning.

According to TSA, the woman says the skull was brought back by her boyfriend after his military deployment in Okinawa, Japan. The woman says she was bringing the skull to Philadelphia for halloween.

Tucson Police were also called in. They questioned the woman and searched her home. She told them the skull belonged to her boyfriend and that it had been sitting in the garden for about 4-years. The skull has been transported to a county medical examiner's office. According to the medical examiner's office the skull belongs to a human male 20-30 years old of Japanese decent.

Dr. Bruce Anderson of the medical examiner's office verified that, "This was sitting on the ground in a garden in the dirt with some algae or moss growing."

Airport Police credit the screeners saying their attention to detail is what keeps passengers safe.

John Sides, Federal Security Director with the Transportation Security Administration says, "It's hard to say what you might find in there but its imperative they do that security job that the citizens expect them to do."

TDP says they have contacted the Office of Special Investigation, a military investigation office which plans to look into whether the boyfriend legally obtained the skull.

No charges were filed against the woman, and she was allowed to fly to Philadelphia. In addition, there were no charges filed against the boyfriend. If charges were to come they would likely come from the Office of Special Investigation.

[JeremyD]

Remind me not to fly with my collection of skulls

[Pazuzu]

Tucson airport is small enough that every person working there probably got to see the thing within 15 minutes.

[kach22i]

It's cursed.

[dhoward]

Thank goodness TSA is keeping me safe from skulls.
How much did this cost?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by dhoward

Thank goodness TSA is keeping me safe from skulls.
How much did this cost?

Those edges look sharp. It could have easily been used to hijack the plane. Think of all the people they saved from nasty scratches.

[kstar]

It certainly could have been one of those skull shaped plastic explosive charges.

[Aurel]

It was a bonehead move to take that skull in a plane.

Aurel

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by dhoward

Thank goodness TSA is keeping me safe from skulls.
How much did this cost?

I think the going rate for a skull is $38.50, maybe more with skin still attached...

[RWebb]

it is exfoliated - better pray nobody violated the us or other antiquities act -- if so, get a damn good lawyer -- there could be time in a federal prison involved if it is old enough

[austin552]

8 Heads in a duffle bag.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Dr. Bruce Anderson of the medical examiner's office verified that, "This was sitting on the ground in a garden in the dirt with some algae or moss growing."

Man, that guy is everywhere! First, valuations of our cars, mechanics classes, and now this?

[MT930]

I would like to see a picture of the chick that was packing the skull.

Pretty Freaking Creepy!