43°
Through Dec. 18, "the Beaver County Detective Bureau in cooperation with our local Crime Solvers of Beaver County and the Economy Borough Police Department are running an informational and rewards campaign of $5000 and the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is matching the $5000 reward in regard to information leading to the arrest and conviction involving this unsolved case of an Embalmed Human Head," the authorities state in the release.
The woman's head was found by the teen while walking Mason road on December 12, 2014, at approximately 12:30 p.m. in Economy Borough. This head was found as follows:
"Lying on the left side of the face... on top of the leaves and vegetation and did not appear to have any animal bite marks or evidence of an animal carving it. It has been estimated that the head was in the place of discovery for a week to one month. The head was cleanly cut in the frontal part of the neck by a clean cut across the trachea and carotid arteries. The spinal cord was precisely cut away from the brain and out of the neck. The skin on the neck was crudely cut and jagged: and not consistent with the other cuts."
The head was embalmed, but authorities don't know how long it had been that way.
Regarding the eyeballs authorities say:
"It was also discovered that the eyes had been removed from the eye sockets. What appeared to be red rubber balls were placed into the eye sockets and covered with eye caps. The eye caps are reported to be general equipment used for embalming. In cases of organ donation, the State of Pennsylvania does not remove the eye-balls; only the corneal tissue is removed. Some states may remove the eves: however, it has been found that the eyes are not replaced with red rubber balls. Research has indicated that this has not been heard of and not a common practice."
Investigators believe the head is form a funeral home as it was "not a part of medical school cadavers," but every coroners and funeral director nationwide has been contacts, according to the release.
The head is of a woman in her 60s to 80s, with whitish gray, curly hair that appears to have been styled, and authorities added that "her teeth were intact and in good condition," although dental records have not turned up any matches.
Anyone with information is urged to anonymously contact the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll Free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=107
Click here to follow Daily Voice Gettysburg and receive free news updates.
