Police probe source of mummified body auctioned on eBay

MEDICAL examiners and law enforcement officials in Michigan are working to determine the origins of mummified human skeletal remains confiscated from the home of a woman who police say was trying to sell them on eBay.

The St Clair County medical examiner’s office claimed the remains earlier this week from the Port Huron home of Lynn Sterling, 45.

“We got a call from a person in North Carolina who happened to have spotted it on eBay, and they called and told us that there was a mummy for sale on eBay,” said police Captain Don Porrett.

“Of course our reaction was ‘So?’ Until the person tracked it and told us that the person selling it was from Port Huron.”

Mr Porrett said the woman told police she obtained the remains from a friend, who works in demolition and who said he found them in a Detroit school he helped demolish nearly 30 years ago.

“I would never have put it on (eBay) if I thought it was anything other than an anatomical, medical thing,” Ms Sterling said.

EBay spokeswoman Catherine England said the posting was removed on Wednesday because it violated a policy against selling human remains.

Curiosity had attracted at least one bid prior to it being removed.

“There was a bid on it for $500 from ‘Satan’s Child’,” Mr Porrett said.