Resolved IN - Shipshewana - Male, 18-24, 1982 - **Ancient**

[mysteriew]

Weird story. John Ray bought a book in 1982 and a box came with it. He says that he was told not to open the book until he got home. But he did open it before he left and it contained human bones. The man he bought it from wouldn't take it back.


snip...The dealer said the remains came with a piece of paper identifying the body - a piece of paper the dealer said he lost, Ray said.

"The person was a boy who claimed he was one of the last Delaware Indians and he was in a bar in Michigan or Minnesota in the late '60s and he was totally drunk," Ray said, relating what the dealer told him. "He supposedly had created a major problem with somebody, and they hit him, and then they beat him to death. They put his body on the roof of a barn and let the animals eat it, and then they stuffed the bones in a box."

With the dealer refusing to take back the remains, Ray said he decided to keep the bones out of respect. Ray said he no longer remembers the name of the dealer nor has he tried to contact him.

http://www.southtownstar.com/neighbo...8bones.article

'Male, between 18 and 24, approximately 5-8, 5-9

Ray says he has tried to tell authorities a time or two over the years and was ignored.

[shadowangel]

What a bizarre story. I'm surprised LE doesn't take more of an interest in this...Without an actual study its difficult to determine anything about human remains.
I recall reading a news story about bones found in a swampy area in Connecticut (or somewhere in the northeast). Believed to be native remains, archaeologists were called in to excavate. It turned out the bones belonged to a young man who had gone missing and was murdered sometime in the previous ten years or so.

[mysteriew]

That's why I wanted to post this one. This boy was supposedly beaten to death in the 60's. The era of racail issues in the south. But for this boy, it seems to sound like he was beaten to death, then nothing. I also think the story of the acquistion of the bones is pretty bizarre. This guy was a history teacher, and he seems to believe that if he reported finding the bones that it might have a negative effect on him? He doesn't remember the name of the man who sold him the bones? I don't know, the whole thing seems weird.

[Donjeta]

The link in the OP is gone but here's something:

Ray said he purchased the bones inadvertently at the Shipshewana Flea Market in 1982. He said he purchased an old book about American Indians and that book came with a box. He said when he got to his car and opened the box he discovered a partial skeleton. He said he tried to return the box of bones to the auctioneer, who would not take them.

A slip of paper was included with the bones, according to Ray, but that paper has been lost. The story told on that paper was that the bones were from a young Indian man who was beaten to death in a bar in Michigan or Minnesota. The man’s body was then placed on a barn roof to allow animals to clean the flesh from the bones.

Also stated was that the murder victim often told people he was one of the last members of the Delaware Indian tribe.

Ray has said the bones show trauma to one entire side. He said Thursday that the skeleton is about 70 percent complete.

http://goshennews.com/local/x3958168...Grange-sheriff

[summer_breeze]

http://goshennews.com/local/x3958209...ative-American

October 3, 2008
By JOHN KLINE

<snipped>

According to a recent report released by the University of Indianapolis Archeology and Forensics Laboratory, the bones have been identified as belonging to a Native American of unknown sex, between the ages of 30 and 50, who is believed to have died of natural causes more than 100 years ago.

[LadyL]

from being beaten in a bar to someone who died of natural causes more than 100 years ago?

what a totally bizarre story

I'm thinking that if I ever inadvertantly buy bones at a flea market, I will immediately call the police who can take possession of them at that location and investigate the person who sold them to me (& therefore relieve me of said bones)

I'm not a superstisious person but this one freaks me out a bit

[marycarney]

Reminds me of Storage Wars (on A&E). The auctioneer once famously said "Yeah, once you sell someone a dead body, they never want to buy anything else from you again". !!

[q64ceo]

First thing I thought of when I saw this:

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Gabby's_Bones

That case has still yet to be solved.