A routine shopping trip in Florida took a peculiar turn when a human skull was found in the Halloween section of a local charity shop.

A vigilant anthropologist, who was browsing the store last Saturday, noticed the skull and suspected it to be human, according to officials.

Detectives were promptly called to the store and concurred with the anthropologist’s assessment, deeming the skull to be of human origin.

The shop’s owner informed investigators that the skull had been stored in a unit for several years, following its purchase.

Now, law enforcement in North Fort Myers, situated approximately 160 miles (260km) northwest of Miami, is working in conjunction with the local medical examiner’s office to conduct a thorough examination of the skull.

Authorities currently do not suspect any foul play in this unusual discovery.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office added a touch of humor to the situation on their social media platforms, describing it as a “twist of not-so-humerus events.”

It’s worth noting that under Florida law, the sale or purchase of human organs or tissues for valuable consideration is strictly prohibited. This statute encompasses various body parts, including eyes, corneas, kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs, pancreases, bones, and skin.

This peculiar discovery in Florida bears a resemblance to a similar incident in Arizona in September when a human skull was found in a donation box at a Goodwill charity store. In that case, experts concluded that the skull was likely ancient and not associated with any criminal activity.

Although these surprising finds in Arizona and Florida may appear eerie, they have a history of piquing the interest of anthropologists and contributing to our understanding of human evolution.

In 2019, researchers unearthed a nearly complete 3.8 million-year-old skull in Ethiopia, Africa. This discovery was particularly significant because the skull belonged to a species that played a pivotal role in the evolution of early humans.