Skull found under Winona home

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI)- When renovating your house, you might expect to find old pictures, family heirlooms, or some childhood toys.

But one homeowner and contractor uncovered the shock of a lifetime.

This is a story of a secret that goes back more than 50 years.

But investigators in Winona believe the real mystery could be even older than that.

Across the street from Winona’s High school, a plot straight out of a movie appears to be unfolding.

Or a version of the movie “Stand By Me.”

Long forgotten, and hidden – a skull is found.

“Gentleman was doing renovation work at a house on Fairground Street, and he went under the house to do some work, and when he was under there that was when he discovered what appeared to be a human skull,” said Chief Investigator Dan Herod.

But that’s just the beginning of this tale.

“It sent everyone into a frenzy around here, and because of what all what was posted on Facebook a gentleman actually seen what was going around, and we were contacted by this man he told us he actually lived in the house in 1965, and stated that he’s actually the one that placed the skull under the house,” said Herod.

But Chief Investigator Dan Herod says they don’t believe this was foul play.

Back in 1965, a group of boys stumbled upon the skull.

“Simply at the time, some teenagers walking through some woods, and they stumbled upon this human skull. So they, I guess, at the time we’re thinking that it was a cool find. They brought it back to the house, and he realized that his mother probably didn’t want that being in the house so, he stated that he put it under the house and kind of just forgot about it,” said Herod.

Over the years, the home changed hands. The boys grew up. And the skull was forgotten.

“You know at first you see something like this you think that there’s a very good chance that is not what you think it is. Well, when we were able to determine that it in fact was, she was what it was pretty scary feeling to realize that you own a house and not knowing it, but human remains under to the house the whole time,” said Herod.

The skull is being sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab for testing.

But what they do know is that it isn’t connected to any missing person case from Winona.

“The skull was placed here in 1965, so it was what? 50 or 60 years ago so could be older than that but for my investigation, it didn’t come from Winona,” said Police Chief Tommy Bibbs.

Herod says they will be looking into a hole found in the back of the skull. He says it does resemble a bullet, but they won’t know until the crime lab has a chance to examine it.