MA MA - Boston, 2 Human Skulls, UP8990 (WhtMale 30-50) & UP8992 (WhtFem 17-25), poss specimens, Dec'10

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NamUs UP Case 8992

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/8992

Unidentified White female
* Found December 15, 2010 in Suffolk County, MA
* Estimated Year of Death: 10 years

Vital Statistics
* Estimated age: 17-25 years old
* Approximate Height: cannot estimate
* Distinguishing Characteristics: nothing
* Dentals: Dental information / charting is not available
* Clothing/Jewelry: nothing
* DNA: Tests complete

NamUs UP Case 8990

https://identifyus.org/en/cases/8990

Unidentified White male
* Found December 15, 2010 in Suffolk County, MA
* Estimated Year of Death: 10 years

Vital Statistics
* Estimated age: 30-50 years old
* Approximate Height: cannot estimate
* Distinguishing Characteristics: nothing
* Dentals: Dental information / charting is not available
* Clothing/Jewelry: nothing
* DNA: Tests not complete


Case History: On December 15, 2010, two human skulls were found in a cardboard box in the basement of an apartment complex on Huntington Avenue. This skull is presumed to be from a white female aged 17-25. The second skull is presumed to be from a white male aged 30-50, who is entered as separate NamUs case # 8990. These skulls may be medical or educational specimens without forensic significance; however, they are being treated as forensically significant unless/until their origins are determined.
 
The police have checked who is headed the apartment and missing persons from the area, probably were not earning anything for this case. Also likely that the remains are of missing persons from another state or even homeless.
 
We have, unfortunately, a skull in the house. The rest of the skeleton was left in my husband's medical office in CA. It belonged to him but was bought from a company that distributes them to physicians, medical school, etc I still feel as I should bury ours. I keep the skull in a closet in the room with exercise equipment & old med texts. I say a prayer every year on All Souls' Day for him (hubs said it was a him.)

could it have been something like this? I shudder to think if anyone coming across items in our house after one of us is deceased would find pause to wonder.
 
you may be as you say Tony, I have not found couple disappeared from that area, perhaps someone could do a more thorough search.
 
This area is very heavily populated with college students and graduate students, particularly those in the health sciences. 762 Huntington Avenue is a block or two away from Longwood Medical Area, home to many hospitals including teaching hospitals such as Brigham & Womens, Beth Israel, and Boston Children's Hospital. It's also very close to the Harvard schools of public health and dental medicine and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. Just down Huntington Avenue is also the Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Northeastern University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology, all of which have students who live in the immediately surrounding neighborhood. Not too far toward the Fenway are more colleges still. The female's remains are estimated to be exactly the age of a college student. The health sciences student angle could also suggest the remains were specimens used in medical studies.
 
Most likely these skulls were used in medical studies. When my parents were in medical school it was cheaper to buy a real skeleton than a plastic one, or so I was told. (I’m talking about Europe in the ‘80s though, but I figured it would be the same in the USA). You could buy a whole skeleton or a half one (with a whole skull). I believe half a skeleton was something like $145 and an entire one for around $290. It’s insane when you think about it.

My dad told me most remains came from Asia. I wonder if they might be able to tell where they originated from.
 
LeenC said:
Most likely these skulls were used in medical studies. When my parents were in medical school it was cheaper to buy a real skeleton than a plastic one, or so I was told. (I’m talking about Europe in the ‘80s though, but I figured it would be the same in the USA). You could buy a whole skeleton or a half one (with a whole skull). I believe half a skeleton was something like $145 and an entire one for around $290. It’s insane when you think about it.

My dad told me most remains came from Asia. I wonder if they might be able to tell where they originated from.
Click to expand...
Wow LeenC that is really interesting.. I never knew.. and yeah it's a little crazy your right.
 
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
NamUs #UP8990 Male, White / Caucasian
Excluded
MP9298 Patricia Krieger 10/02/2010 Skagit WA

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
NamUs #UP8992 Female, White / Caucasian
No exclusions

It appears as though they are actively making comparisons to MPs, at least to UP8990. Why would they compare Patricia Krieger to the male's skull? Could this be a data entry error? Even though they think there's the chance these skulls are specimens there remains the possibility these could be crime victims. Composite sketches would be nice.
 
LeenC said:
When my parents were in medical school it was cheaper to buy a real skeleton than a plastic one, or so I was told. (I’m talking about Europe in the ‘80s though, but I figured it would be the same in the USA).
Click to expand...
Sorry for the late reply, but I first saw this post today. It's true, though. Several movies (usually horror movies) in the 70s and the 80s used real skeletons because fake ones were too expensive to produce. Perhaps the most infamous one is Poltergeist from 1982, where in a scene, the mother of the household ends up in a mud hole in the garden, surrounded by skeletons.
I assumed that they were prop skeletons made out of plastic or rubber. I found out — as did the whole crew — that they were using real skeletons, because it’s far too expensive to make fake skeletons out of rubber.
Click to expand...

FACT CHECK: Were Real Skeletons Used in the Making of 'Poltergeist'?
 
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