Florida thrift store finds human skull among donations

Not The Bee ^ | June 13, 2026 | Harriet Rigby

[Red Badger]

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for help in locating the person who donated a real human skull to the Jericho Ministries Thrift Store in Brooksville, Florida, last month.

Corporal Michael Terry said that while the Sheriff's Department is looking for answers, it does not suspect criminal activity, telling the Hernando Sun,

Nothing criminal in nature. We just want to ensure the people who donated realized it was a real skull, not a prop. [We're] thinking it might have been passed down by a family member.

Even with that caveat, I don't think the person who donated it is likely to come forward.

The question remains: Who would just happen to have a real human skull lying around their house?

Some speculated that the skull could have been used for educational purposes, but the thrift store employee who found it, Jared Veals, had a different hunch.

He said he knew right away that it was the real deal, telling the Hernando Sun,

I could tell by seeing where the upper mantles [SIC] met. On the front of it, it said ‘Okinawa 1945 Marine Division,' so I think it was a war trophy.

What a disturbing war trophy.

This isn't an unheard-of phenomenon, with an Arizona Goodwill also coming across human remains in their donations a few years back.

notthebee.com

Human skull found in Goodwill donation box

Man, isn't the news just great sometimes? Like this story about a human skull that was dropped off at a Goodwill in Goodyear, Arizona.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 1945; brooksville; fl; humanremains; jerichoministries; marines; okinawa; skull; thriftstore; usmc; worldwarii

[Red Badger]

Florida Man?................

[Fai Mao]

Check voting records. See if it’s a Democrat.

[Equine1952]

It’s not me. I lost my mind at about age 3, but my hat still fits. Doo Daa, Doo Daa!

[TangoLimaSierra]

Wish my teeth looked as good.

[telescope115]

What’s the big deal? Nothing to lose one’s head over…..

[PLMerite]

[On the front of it, it said ‘Okinawa 1945 Marine Division,’ so I think it was a war trophy.]

Probably the remains of some poor Japanese soldier.

[Red Badger]

They should be able to get DNA from the teeth...........

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Talk about “I gave at the office!”

[Red Badger]

That’s how you get ahead in this world..................

[know.your.why]

Buffalo Bill strikes

[cableguymn]

it’s dead. of course it’s a democrat.

[Ezekiel]

[We're] thinking it might have been passed down by a family member.

[Red Badger]

Henny Youngman?.................

[Deaf Smith]

>>>Wish my teeth looked as good

——————

Severely receding gums.

[Deaf Smith]

That is also a AI pic.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Over 120 years ago it was common to adorn a mantle of a fire place with a human skull. One author back then even claimed they often went out to abandoned cemeteries and dug up bodies just for the skull. There is a photo of artist Fredrick Remington standing in front of his fireplace and a human skull is on the mantle.
All I have on mine is a dog skull and possum skull. Cow skull on the wall.

[Red Badger]

https://www.actionnews5.com/2020/10/27/skull-found-fireplace-mantle-tennessee-identified-missing-man/

[fidelis]

I suspect St. Jerome. He was probably remodeling his cave and threw into a box of old parchments and papyri and dropped it off at Goodwill.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."