Press: Student Brings Skull to School

Monday, March 19, 2012
Oxford Eagle

Human Skull Brought to Local School by Student
Identity of Skull Unknown

By Kelly Shackleton
Staff Writer

The Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department confirmed reports that a student brought an allegedly human skull to Oxford Middle School on Friday. The identity of the skull is not known at this time, but investigators say they are looking in to the situation.

Oxford Middle School Principal Marian Goodnight called the Sheriff's Department at approximately 1:30 p.m. to report that a student was showing classmates what the student claimed were the partial remains of a human. Principal Goodnight confiscated the skull and kept it and the student in her office until police arrived at the scene. Upon examination of the skull, officers determined it could be human. Detectives were called at that time to further investigate the incident.

Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department Public Information Officer Elizabeth Jones stated, "We are currently investigating the incident to verify whether it is human, and if it is, to determine the identity of the skull and how it came to be in the youth's possession."

Jones would not disclose further details of the case pending ongoing forensic analysis and investigation but said the department was pursuing several leads. The identity of the student was not released because the student is a juvenile.

Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department said additional information would be released when it becomes available.