TN TN - MCEWEN, human heart found in salt pile - adult male - 16 Dec 2022

[Soulmagent]

I had to read that headline a few times before it made sense, WTH?

How many times did it take ? I am hoping I am at least partway there.

 

[IceIce9]

Hopefully there are cameras which authorities can review to determine if it was brought there by a person or an animal, or if it likely was already in the salt when it was delivered.

Since it was dried out (they thought at first it was a rock) I am thinking it was in the load of salt when delivered.

JMO

 

[Springrain]

If it was from the body farm wouldn't it have been autopsied?

 

[Helechawagirl]

Bodies preserved in salt for over 2,000 years

Since 1993, several bodies and body parts have been accidentally discovered in a salt mine near the village of Hamzehlu in north-western Iran. - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News

www.google.com

Fascinating. Hope it is something like this.

 

[Helechawagirl]

If it was from the body farm wouldn't it have been autopsied?

Not if was still in process.

 

[cutter99]

The Body Farm is located in Knoxvillle, and McEwen is west of Nashville, so probably 250 miles plus apart. I would have a hard time imagining the two would be connected.

 

[Helechawagirl]

The Body Farm is located in Knoxvillle, and McEwen is west of Nashville, so probably 250 miles plus apart. I would have a hard time imagining the two would be connected.

Yea that’s too far. My guess is the salt mine unearthed some older remains—may end up being an archaeological find.

 

[Astrach99]

Such a strange case. I wonder how likely this is to be solved.

 

[IceIce9]

Such a strange case. I wonder how likely this is to be solved.

If it is possible to obtain DNA, more likely?

 

[Tower]

A heart would bring top dollar. Throwing that bit away would be like buying a premium item, keeping the box, and throwing the item in the bin.

It is super weird though. I'm guessing it might have something to do with misuse of medical cadavers. But I could be completely wrong.

This sounds by far the most likely. When I dissected cadavers, we were solemnly lectured on professionalism and the privilege of having a person donate their body for us to learn. My classmates and I took it very seriously, but I could imagine an unprofessional prankster gaining access to a heart and it ending up smuggled out of the lab or morgue. I think that’s far more likely than murder with only a heart found? But that’s only my opinion, who knows?

 

[charminglane]

Salt is used in purification rituals and ceremonies.

This is an interesting case!

 

[cheemsg]

This sounds by far the most likely. When I dissected cadavers, we were solemnly lectured on professionalism and the privilege of having a person donate their body for us to learn. My classmates and I took it very seriously, but I could imagine an unprofessional prankster gaining access to a heart and it ending up smuggled out of the lab or morgue. I think that’s far more likely than murder with only a heart found? But that’s only my opinion, who knows?

Honestly no explanation makes a lick of sense. I dont think someone would kill a man, go through the trouble of cutting out his heart, and then leave it in a pile of salt. But any other explanation seems weird too.

 

[sallye818]

A "lick" of sense..haha @cheemsg !

 

[Helechawagirl]

I believe it was in the salt mine. JMO

 

[LordMo]

Honestly no explanation makes a lick of sense. I dont think someone would kill a man, go through the trouble of cutting out his heart, and then leave it in a pile of salt. But any other explanation seems weird too.

Well, I'm just saying. The timing is pretty suspicious -- around Christmastime? And it had been there long enough to completely desiccate. Is it possible that last Christmas someone was given this heart?

 

[charminglane]

Well, I'm just saying. The timing is pretty suspicious -- around Christmastime? And it had been there long enough to completely desiccate. Is it possible that last Christmas someone was given this heart?

You just won mine!

 

[iamshadow21]

Well, I'm just saying. The timing is pretty suspicious -- around Christmastime? And it had been there long enough to completely desiccate. Is it possible that last Christmas someone was given this heart?

Salt does the job pretty quickly, quicker than you'd think. The ancient Egyptians used it for this reason in mummification.

Also, having watched a cooking show where they drycured a whole leg ham, that took, if I recall correctly, about a month. A heart wouldn't take that long, it's mainly muscle and fibrous tissue. It possibly was there as little as weeks to months, not a year.

MOO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Would the salt affect being able to get dna from the heart ?

 

[LordMo]

Salt does the job pretty quickly, quicker than you'd think. The ancient Egyptians used it for this reason in mummification.

Also, having watched a cooking show where they drycured a whole leg ham, that took, if I recall correctly, about a month. A heart wouldn't take that long, it's mainly muscle and fibrous tissue. It possibly was there as little as weeks to months, not a year.

MOO

yeah I've just had Wham's "Last Christmas" a lot this season and couldn't resist.

Couldn't exactly get the figures on where salt is sourced in that area, but it looks like a lot of states will import loads of salt from other countries. What that would mean as far as circumstances, I have no idea...

 

[Lwieckowicz]

What in the ‍

Human heart found in Tennessee salt pile, authorities say

A human heart was found in a salt pile at a Tennessee Department of Transportation facility, according to authorities.

wchstv.com