Sacramento Woman Carries Human Skull on a Stick Through Town, Prompts Homicide Investigation

A Sacramento woman paraded a human skull on a stick around the city this week, leading officials to investigate the identity of the deceased.

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A homeless Sacramento woman caused a stir this week when she was spotted walking through the city carrying a human skull on a stick.

Though her identity has not been made public, local police say they've opened an investigation to determine the identity of the deceased person after she led them to the site of the remains.

"Detectives have not released the name of the woman who was in possession of the skull and she has not been charged with anything at this time," Sacramento police said in a statement. "Foul play has not been determined, therefore we are awaiting the Sacramento County Coroner's report for further information."  

Reuters reported Friday that the Sacramento coroner's office expected to release its report next week.

Sacramento police Sargeant Bryce Heinlein told KTXL News that “a call like this is not something that happens every day. We hope we can get down to the bottom of what caused this person to become deceased," adding that the unnamed woman “brought the officers to the area where she located the skull."

WGNTV reports that the woman is homeless and that the remains were found at an abandoned homeless encampment. It also reported that a man who lives next to the encampment, identified only as Philip, says the woman has lived there for years. He told the station that he smelled something rancid but thought it was a dead cat.

“I went to walk back there and thought, Damn! What the hell is that smell? It make me sick to my stomach, so I turned ... and came back here,” Philip said. “Twenty cop cars out here [...] And they’re taking pictures of her holding a head."

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