Essendon Doe was an individual whose skeletal remains were found under the floorboards of a shed in Essendon, Australia. Authorities have confirmed that the discovery was not of archaeological origin.
Case[]
On 12 April 2008, a resident of Essendon, a suburb in Melbourne, Australia, was tearing down an old shed on his property to make some home renovations. While removing the floorboards, he discovered a femur and a leg bone. The police were contacted and arrived to examine the bones. On 13 April, a section of the yard measuring four meters by four meters, where the shed stood, was excavated by the police. More bone fragments were found, but they were too small to determine if they were from animals or human remains. Melbourne's homicide squad investigated the remains, although no cause of death could be determined based on the recovered fragments.
Upon examination, it was established that the remains had been concealed beneath the floorboards for approximately 30 years, and police attempted to pinpoint when the shed was constructed. The previous homeowner, who had resided on the property for 37 years before selling it to the individual who discovered the bones, was questioned by authorities. He claimed to have no knowledge of the bones, so the police attempted to track down the owners before him.
The police discovered that the shed had been erected 50 years prior, changing the post-mortem interval to 50 years.
Sources[]
- The Sydney Morning Herald:
- ABC: