Mummified baby corpse missing from NH grave site

[azkarisma]

This story definitely belongs in Weird and Bizarre.

This family had kept passing down an "heirloom" from generation to generation, for almost 100 years.  Turns out the "heirloom" was the mummified corpse of a baby.  Back in 2008 a judge ruled that they needed to bury the mummy, which they did.  Well, the mummified baby is now missing from its burial site.

Current story, from USA Today:  http://content.usatoday.net/dist/cus...33454001.story

Mummified baby corpse missing from NH grave site
Posted 5/4/2010 10:35 PM ET
By Kathy Mccormack, Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. — The mummified body of a baby, kept by a family for nearly a century before a judge ordered the remains to be buried, has been removed from a cemetery, police said Tuesday.

A cemetery visitor on Monday reported that a grave appeared to have been unearthed, police Sgt. John Thomas said. The corpse of "Baby John" has not been recovered, he said.

The mummified body had been kept for years by Charles Peavey. He had said the family had the mummy, possibly the stillborn son of a great-great-uncle, for 80 to 90 years and considered it a family heirloom.

Police learned of it in 2006 after Peavey's then-4-year-old niece mentioned it at her day care center. Authorities took the 18-inch mummy in for testing, and Peavey went to probate court to get custody of it.

The tests concluded the baby died of natural causes shortly after his birth and confirmed the remains were decades old, but did not determine the age or origin. DNA testing failed to prove the boy was related to Peavey, and so a probate judge ordered the remains buried.

The remains were interred in 2008 in an unmarked grave in a section of Concord's Blossom Hill Cemetery containing the graves of infants and young children. Stuffed animals, figurines and other toys decorated the children's gravesites Tuesday.

"It wasn't that well-known where the exact location was," Thomas said of the gravesite.

Thomas said the police believe the grave was disturbed over the weekend. After seeing evidence of grave-tampering, investigators got a search warrant to exhume the site and found the casket, but not the remains, he said. He said many people have been interviewed and declined to name any suspects.

Peavey denies disturbing the grave site, but his home and car were searched Monday, said his attorney, Jim Rosenberg.

"He has no information to offer with regard to this mess," Rosenberg said.

Peavey has not been charged with any crime.

"His sole wish, when Baby John was put to rest a couple years back now, was that the baby could rest peacefully," Rosenberg said. "This news has been extremely difficult for Mr. Peavey to deal with."

Disturbance of a burial site and abuse of a corpse are felonies.

Relatives had treated the mummified infant as a family member, giving it cards during holidays and a dried fish as a pet.

And a story from when the world first learned about this family "heirloom" back in 2006, from Click Orlando:  http://www.clickorlando.com/family/8956581/detail.html

Police Find Family Heirloom Is Mummified Baby
Investigators To Study Mummified Baby Kept By N.H. Family

UPDATED: 11:38 am EDT April 24, 2006
CONCORD, N.H. -- A family heirloom is not going over well with police.

The mummified body of a baby kept by a Concord, N.H., family has drawn attention from investigators.

The current keeper of the baby, Charles Peavey, said the tiny mummy has been passed down in his family for many years. Concord police recently got word of the remains and they took them in for testing. A forensic anthropologist will examine the tiny corpse.

Peavey said the mummy belonged to his great-great uncle, who was born in Ashland in 1850. The family estimated that the mummy is 90 years old.

It was discovered among the uncle's possessions in 1947 in Manchester, N.H.

Police said the testing on the corpse could take a month or more.

There is a picture of the mummified baby corpse in that 2006 story.  I don't want to post it here, but if you feel like you want to see it you can right-click on this link & open it in a new window.  It's disturbing.  http://www.clickorlando.com/2006/0424/8956892.jpg

[deeply shaded]

Relatives had treated the mummified infant as a family member, giving it cards during holidays and a dried fish as a pet.

:lol: :lol:

[Nocturnity]

[quote author=azkarisma link=topic=25232.msg1615886#msg1615886 date=1273027865]
Police learned of it in 2006 after Peavey's then-4-year-old niece mentioned it at her day care center. Authorities took the 18-inch mummy in for testing, and Peavey went to probate court to get custody of it.
[/quote]

That kid has a big mouth. 

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=Nocturnity link=topic=25232.msg1615977#msg1615977 date=1273030774]
That kid has a big mouth. 
[/quote]

I'd love to know what she said.  :lol:

[Nocturnity]

[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25232.msg1615986#msg1615986 date=1273030938]
I'd love to know what she said.  :lol:
[/quote]


If I were a teacher and a four year old told me that they had a mummy, I would tell them that they were full of shit and to go sit down. :lol:

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=Nocturnity link=topic=25232.msg1615988#msg1615988 date=1273031033]

If I were a teacher and a four year old told me that they had a mummy, I would tell them that they were full of shit and to go sit down. :lol:
[/quote]

Especially if she said they gave it Christmas cards and it had a dried pet fish.  :lol:

[Nocturnity]

[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25232.msg1615991#msg1615991 date=1273031084]
Especially if she said they gave it Christmas cards and it had a dried pet fish.  :lol:

[/quote]

Oh yeah.  I would be writing notes to send home with the kid demanding that the parents have her tested.

[mydeathspace]

Is Charles Peavey from the article related to our Peavey?