- Details
- By Levi Rickert
Michelle Calhoun was shopping in a thrift store in North Fort Myers, Florida and noticed a human skull in the Halloween section on Saturday, November 4, 2023.
Calhoun, a anthropologist with Archaeological Consultants, based in Sarasota, Fla. said she identified the skull as being of a Native American.
At approximately 11:25 am, the Lee County Sheriff Office received a call about the discovery at the Paradise Vintage Market located in the Antique Mall. The caller who made the call stated the skull was of a Native American, according to the Lee County Sheriff Office police report obtained by Native New Online.
The officer who responded made contact with the store owner and manager Beth Meyer, who told the officer the skull was placed out for Halloween and was selling for $400. The officer called in the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit detectives to further investigate.
Meyer told the officer the skull was located in a storage locker at I Storage in Fort Myers, Florida. She said she purchased the skull years prior.
The sheriff office called the medical examiner to remove the skull from the thrift shop. Preliminary examination shows the skull is about 75 years old and there does not appear to be any trauma to the bones. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office will work in conjunction with the District 21 Medical Examiner’s Office to facilitate further testing of the skull.
According to the Lee County Sheriff Office, the case is not suspicious in nature.
If the skull is ascertained to be of a Native American, by law it should be repartriated to a local tribe.
More Stories Like This
Call for Entire Ninth Circuit Rehearing of Apache Stronghold to Vindicate Tribal Nations’ Land-based Religious PracticesNewland Touts Biden's Investing in America Agenda at Bison Release at Taos Pueblo
Photos of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe’s Powwow
NCAI President Calls for Indigenous Participation in United Nations
Army Seeks Extension in Lawsuit Over Return of Native Childrens’ Remains
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.
