(PXN) A human skull that was found last week among the belongings of a resident who was being evicted from his Wiseman Ave. dwelling because of a compulsive hoarding habit was apparently stolen from a cemetery three decades ago.
Held in custody
The resident, Michael Friedrichs, 69, was charged last week with indecent treatment of human remains. The prosecution requested during his arraignment that he be remanded in custody for the time being.
According to a French-language Montreal daily, Friedrichs, had just been evicted from his dwelling and was packing boxes when the Montreal Police arrived on the scene. Friedrichs apparently wasn’t concealing the item in question, as it was out in the open.
Skull’s origins sought
He was placed under arrest and taken to be interviewed by the police who were seeking information on the origins of the skull. According to the newspaper report, Friedrichs admitted that he found the skull in an unnamed cemetery around 1989 and couldn’t resist taking it.
The penalty for the charge he faces is up to five years imprisonment. The skull has been sent to a forensic police laboratory to be tentatively identified.
