Wednesday, February 22, 2012

A skull found on a Sedgwick County property last month was buried by a former homeowner, officials said.

Authorities were called to the scene near Cheney in the 700 block of E. 2nd Jan. 29. Capt. Greg Pollock, Sedgwick County Investigation Division, said potential buyers found the skull when walking the grounds.

On Wednesday, the Sheriff’s department said a former resident buried the skull on the property before moving in 2010. The skull had been in the family’s possession since it was left on a door step in Circleville on Halloween in 1949.

Investigators said the family tried to identify the skull in the late 1970s. The family learned the skull was of Asian decent, and may have been a World War II souvenir.

Pollock said he is confident there is not a crime for authorities to investigate.

"We feel confident that this is how the skull came to reside in Cheney. And now the mystery still remains for the folks in Jackson County to see if they can try and determine its original origin in their jurisdiction."

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s office said the department is transferring the case to Jackson County authorities.

Jackson County investigators told Pollock it is not uncommon for a skull or other human bones to be unearthed because there are many unmarked graves in the area. High water can also sometimes unearth graves, Pollock said.