Peruvian mayor blackmailed with father's stolen skull

BBC News ^ | 24 Sept 2010 | By Dan Collyns

[BlackVeil]

Thieves have tried to blackmail a Peruvian small-town mayor into withdrawing his re-election bid by claiming to have stolen his late father's skull, police say. The thieves dug up the body of Rogelio Vizcarra's father and then sent him a text message. Mr Vizcarra, mayor of San Cristobal in southern Peru, says the message sender offered to return the skull if he withdrew his bid for re-election. But he says he still plans to run. Police in the small town near Moquegua say the grave robbers unearthed the remains of Juan Vizcarra, who died in 1978, removing the skull and leaving the bones scattered around the cemetery. The crime of offending the memory of the dead could be punished by a two-year jail sentence ...

[BlackVeil]

I read an interesting article in the Fortean Times, just a few months ago, about the cult of collecting human skulls in Bolivia. Lots of people have them, and believe that it helps their prayers. This skull theft might relate to similar beliefs.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I think it is techniacally extortion, not blackmail - unless it’s because they dug up some dirt on him.

[allmost]

Dead relatives are mourned differently there. This hurts.

[BlackVeil]

Not dirt! ... Just bones.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Yeah, well, skeletons in the closet.

[BlackVeil]

Groan! I still think the Mayor will win that election. He is ahead of all of them.

[Psalm 144]

I will never understand moderns. The ancients would go wild to avenge a desecration of the dead. Them I can understand.

[allmost]

They revered and often lived with them. I can’t say I agree with the general outline. See what he does...

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I dig that!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Like maybe they got the skull to TALK? “Why that boy, I never told anyone before that he, blah blah blah....”

[Erasmus]

“Drop out of the race or you’ll never see your father’s skull alive again.”