Embalmed Head found in Rural Pennsylvania
An artist's reconstruction of what the women may have looked like before her death in the case of the embalmed head found in Pennsylvania.
In December 2014, a well preserved human head was found in the woods in rural Pennsylvania. It is still not known how the head got there and who it belonged to.
The Discovery of the Embalmed Head in Rural Pennsylvania
The mystery of the rogue embalmed head began on December 12, 2014 in Economy, Pennsylvania, when a teenager discovered a severed head while walking through the woods on their way home. The head was found lying on its side about 30 feet away from a rural road.
The woman's appearance suggested that she was in her 60s, with her skin appearing waxy and her hair carefully styled as if she were in an open casket rather. No evidence of the remaining body or any clues as to how the head arrived there were found.
What made the discovery of the severed head particularly unusual was not just that it was found in the woods or that there was no trace of the rest of the body. The striking aspect was that the head appeared almost lifelike despite being exposed to the elements for several days or possibly weeks.
The woman's skin remained smooth and unblemished, her grey hair was perfectly curled as if she were getting ready for church, and two moles were still visible on her cheek. The only indication that something was wrong was that her face was slightly sagging on the side where it had been resting.
Investigation into the Embalmed Head Found in Rural Pennsylvania
What the owner of the head may have looked like in her younger days.
The partial corpse had another peculiar feature that caught the attention of authorities: her eyes. The plastic caps holding her eyelids closed revealed that there were no eyeballs present, and instead, rubber pellets had been inserted into the sockets. Although this detail was grisly, it provided a crucial starting point for the investigation.
Investigators quickly surmised that the deceased woman had been professionally embalmed, indicating that foul play was unlikely, and instead, someone had likely illegally tampered with her body while it was being transported to the cemetery.
It is suspected that the head may be connected to the black market trade of human body parts.
The removal of the head suggested that the perpetrator had some knowledge of anatomy. Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh stated that this was focus of their investigation.
Investigators initially probed local cemeteries to determine if any graves had been violated. When this yielded no leads, they conducted a series of further investigations to try and identify the woman.
Their objective was not only to solve the case but also to provide a name and dignity to the deceased woman. "Identification is the key that we need," Berosh stated in an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "All roads lead to the identification of that person."
The investigation began with the eyes. Given that the rubber pellets in the sockets suggested that part of the woman's eyes had been removed for medical research or transplantation, investigators attempted to trace organ donors.There was no DNA database of donors, and privacy regulations prevent organ donation organizations from disclosing information to investigators.
Despite exploring several scientific avenues, investigators were unable to make any progress. Although the woman had a complete set of teeth, dental records and DNA testing proved fruitless, as there was no record to compare them to.
They were shocked to discover the number of bodies that were in use, including those for crash-test simulations, military training, and NASA simulations, which exceeded anything they had imagined. Unfortunately, agencies that accepted the eyes for research did not photograph the donor's face or conduct DNA testing. When leads did arise, they were quickly dismissed because they did not match the dental records.
Further testing revealed that the woman's remains contained isotopes indicating that she had moved between Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York in the seven months prior to her death. As a result, it was inferred that the woman likely grew up in Western Pennsylvania, south of Beaver County. In addition, toxicology tests performed on her remains revealed trace amounts of Lidocaine and Atropine, which suggested that she may have suffered from a cardiac ailment and possibly died as a result.
Reward Renewed in 2022 for Information about the Embalmed Head
During the week of December 11 to 18, 2022, the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers matched the reward of $5,000 offered by the Beaver County Detective Bureau and Economy Borough police for anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for abandoning the severed head in the woods.
It is not yet known whether any leads resulted from this reward. If you think you might know who this woman could be contact Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers.
