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Skull Found In The Bay Now In Medical Examiner's Office

Photo from Paul Flores

Paul Flores and his father came across a submerged human skull while they were snorkeling near the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 28, 2008

Updated: 06/29/2008 09:11 am

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Paul Flores

TAMPA Police are done searching an area of Old Tampa Bay where a skull in a pot was found by snorkelers on Saturday afternoon. The remains were turned over to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office to try to identify the skull and to determine if a crime happened, police said.

The macabre discovery was made around 4 p.m. Saturday in about 4 feet of water on the north side of the Courtney Campbell Parkway near the boat ramp, said Tampa police Sgt. Alan Draffin.

"They were a little surprised," Draffin told WFLA News Channel 8 later Saturday. "They were a little shook up."

The divers brought the clay pot, about the size of a beach ball, ashore and called authorities. The skull, Draffin said, appeared to be that of an adult and "was pure bone," no flesh attached, leading him to believe the person had been long dead.

The medical examiner had confirmed that it was a human skull and was conducting further tests, Draffin said, in hopes of collecting DNA samples that can be matched to any missing persons or robbed graves.

As of Sunday morning, no one was drawing the conclusion that the skull was related to a homicide. It may be part of a religious rite, he said.

He said there were other items in the pot, but he would not elaborate. He said the items could have been put in the put along with the skull or they "may not be related."

Divers found the pot sitting upright on the sandy bottom in water that had a visibility of about 4 feet, he said. Police divers searched the area around where the pot was found and including some 50 to 60 feet beyond. They found no other bones or remains, he said.

"Right now, he said, "all we have is an unexplained skull out in the water."
He said such finds are uncommon.

"It's pretty unusual to find skeletal pieces out here," he said.

A spokesman for the medical examiner's office this morning said that that further tests were scheduled
for today. No other information was released.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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