Human Skull Found in Sacrificial Rituals Room, Police Say

[Laisrean]

Link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C525817%2C00.html)


BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Police in Connecticut have confirmed that a skull found in a bloody basement where they believe sacrificial rituals were performed is a human skull.

(snipped by gebs)

Police believe Santeria or some kind of voodoo religion was practiced there. They also found Satanic writings and a beheaded chicken with its blood draining into a bowl.I don't care what your religion is, when you start killing people you are crossing a line. :thumbsdow

[alwaysfallingup]

I wonder, though, if police are just assuming that they killed the person whose skull they possessed. I mean, I know that you can actually buy human skulls online, and some people bring them home from other countries when traveling (from places like the Philippines, where burial spots are at a premium and rotated, so that after the body is only bones they are disinterred and given back to the family).

As far as the blood, that could well be from animal sacrifice, which as I understand it, is legal for religious practitioners to do. They did state there was a chicken draining in the room.

I'm not saying that there wasn't foul play, or that the people were great folks (considering the drug and gun charges, probably not so much). However, I don't think there's enough info in the article to make the leap that these folks beheaded someone. It's possible, but it's also possible that they were desirous of a human skull for their practice and got it in one of any number of ways.

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

Right. Just because there was a skull is no indication of foul play.

And insofar as certain branches of the religious (for want of a better term which is not popping into my head right now) groupings cited are concerned, they may have had one as an heirloom item that has been used in rituals for a very long time.

Also, I find it interesting how the police threw all those rather different religious groupings into one category....depending on the people involved it could be an eclectic mix, I suppose, but I'm more willing to bet the police didn't know anything about the different groupings cited.

Hmm. voodoo=devil worship? Um. No.

If I thought anyone would want it, someone could have my skull after I die, but I do seem to recall that possessing human remains might be illegal in most circumstances....?

[Laisrean]

The thing which makes me suspect foul play is the article mentions a beheaded corpse was found in the same town... now, its possible that is just a coincidence. But seriously, what are the odds?

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

The thing which makes me suspect foul play is the article mentions a beheaded corpse was found in the same town... now, its possible that is just a coincidence. But seriously, what are the odds?

True.

We'll see what they find out about the age of the skull. If it's recent, we have a likely murder or, at a minimum, corpse mutilation. If it's not recent, it opens it up to a lot more speculation.

There's always the possibility of tomb robbery as well.....I know we have a few illegal native american skulls that were migrating around here a while back...not sure if those were confiscated or not, since I only knew about them when I was a kid.

[Laisrean]

Even if its grave robbing and not murder, I don't think that's something we should turn a blind eye to either. The only legitimate excuse I would accept for someone possessing a human skull is if the deceased actually consented to it becoming someone's property.

Just as voodoo and santeria practitioners deserve to have their religion's respected, so too should Christians or whoever may end up being desecrated in a cemetery or ancient burial ground.

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

Even if its grave robbing and not murder, I don't think that's something we should turn a blind eye to either. The only legitimate excuse I would accept for someone possessing a human skull is if the deceased actually consented to it becoming someone's property.

Just as voodoo and santeria practitioners deserve to have their religion's respected, so too should Christians or whoever may end up being desecrated in a cemetery or ancient burial ground.

I didn't say it shouldn't be. I was just noting it as another possibility to murder. Not something that shouldn't be prosecuted.

Believe me, I have strong feelings about grave robbery and with a degree in anthropology know how much of a crime it is.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Seems like a lot of the outrage expressed is based on supposition..?

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

Seems like a lot of the outrage expressed is based on supposition..?

No outrage here (yet). Just speculation and mild curiosity.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

No outrage here (yet). Just speculation and mild curiosity.

I didn't mean you.... The OP seems to be making some assumptions based on no information in the article. I see the "shocked smiley" I think "outrage" but that's just me.

[Lunacie]

I wonder, though, if police are just assuming that they killed the person whose skull they possessed. I mean, I know that you can actually buy human skulls online, and some people bring them home from other countries when traveling (from places like the Philippines, where burial spots are at a premium and rotated, so that after the body is only bones they are disinterred and given back to the family).

As far as the blood, that could well be from animal sacrifice, which as I understand it, is legal for religious practitioners to do. They did state there was a chicken draining in the room.

I'm not saying that there wasn't foul play, or that the people were great folks (considering the drug and gun charges, probably not so much). However, I don't think there's enough info in the article to make the leap that these folks beheaded someone. It's possible, but it's also possible that they were desirous of a human skull for their practice and got it in one of any number of ways.

You beat me to it. Pretty much what my own thoughts were on seeing the link.

(missed the thread when it was posted because we took the girls out to lunch and did some mall-walking)

[darkNight]

Just saw this post. I actually live right next door to Bridgeport.

The news flip-flopped between calling it Santeria and Satanism as if it were the same thing. Sensationalist reporting, really.

And to be fair, the "drugs" they found was marijuana

CT has gotten really screwy lately.

Also in Bridgeport

Family finds skulls when visiting grave in Bridgeport
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/05/news/a3-_skullls.txt

This one is from Stamford, which is about 30 mins from Bridgeport

Connecticut Police Suspect Ritual After 2-Year-Old Girl's Body Stolen From Grave

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,530826,00.html?test=latestnews

[Lunacie]

Strangeness. :foh:

[aluokaloo]

it could be murder, it may not be murder. i guess we'll just have to wait and see.