A shipment of 18 human heads stopped by customs officials at O’Hare International Airport was sent here from Rome to be cremated after being used in medical research, officials said Tuesday.
A generic image of O’Hare Airport
According to a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, the specimens were shipped before Christmas.
“The embalmed heads are anatomical specimens used for research and were properly preserved, wrapped and labeled when they arrived at the airport,” said ME office spokeswoman Mary Paleologos in a news release.
The three sealed coolers holding the specimens was held by customs because the final destination was not clearly indicated on the paperwork. They were delivered to the medical examiner’s office on Monday so they could be properly stored while officials investigated the shipment.
On Tuesday morning, a cremation service from Schiller Parked arrived at the ME’s Office with paperwork for the specimens. The cremation service says they were shipped back to the United States for final disposal. The remains will not be released until federal authorities confirm the paperwork.
The ME’s Office will photograph and x-ray the specimens for record purposes, Paleologos said in the release.
Todd pardee
Is there any kind of a story here?
Dee
No sh*t, Todd. Just a bunch of nosy parkers at the airport
Donna U
I guess I won't be heading to the airport anytime soon. :~|.
JOhn Hadfield
If you're going to the airport, be sure and call ahead.
Elaine
Journalism at its best, this is not a story it’s a headline. Getting close to deleting this app
Lori Anne
I don't understand why they weren't cremated in Rome? Lots of missing info.
Carla
They were headed back home?
Rick
Maybe they were destined to be TV news anchors?
Rick
Mexican drug cartels just leave them on the streets of Mexican cities to be picked up by the trash man.
Tina
Were they in a duffle bag!! (Movie)
Maryann
Hey, my husband lost his head the other night, maybe…..
DKcardinals
Heady journalism at its best
Pedro Roberto
Here is another example of the incorrect term "final destination". Destination is the end point and needs no modifier. Heads up to WGN (the cheap news)
Rob
Glad the folks at customs put their heads together and figured this one out.
Carrie
There might be a story…this article says there were 18 heads…the headline on FB reads 17. Someone has clearly lost their head… ;) Also if you read between the lines you can deduce that the U.S. outsources medical research on heads.
Carrie
But apparently we do our own cremating…
anty
Shipped around Christmas? Someone must have been trying to make Egg Noggin
Dana
They spelled my town wrong….it's Schiller Park. Get it right WGN…