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July 25, 2008

Mystery bones shipped to LaGrange sheriff

By ROGER SCHNEIDER

LAGRANGE, Ind. — A box of human bones that was purchased in LaGrange County in 1982 is coming back.

John Ray, a retired teacher from Park Forest, Ill., said Thursday he has shipped the human remains to the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department.

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.

Being a teacher and afraid of what the possession of human remains might do to his career, Ray said he placed the bones in his basement for the next 26 years.

During those years many people told him to get rid of the skeleton by burying it and staying quiet. But Ray had other plans.

One of his priorities after retirement, Ray said, was to find a proper burial place for the bones. He began that quest by contacting the Southtown Star newspaper, which published his story. Police then got involved.

“I suggested he turn them over to the jurisdiction where he bought the bones,” said Park Forest Deputy Chief Mike McNamara.

Police said it is illegal to possess American Indian remains in Indiana or Illinois. No complaint against Ray has been filed in Illinois.

“We don’t anticipate taking any action against him as long as he follows through on his original intent (to return the bones),” McNamara said.

Once the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department receives the bones, tests will begin to determine if the bones are those of an American Indian.

“If they are Indian bones they will be given to a tribe and buried,” said LaGrange County Sheriff Terry Martin.

Martin had his detectives sift through the old files of the department last week. Officers were trying to find any hint about the origins of the old bones. Nothing useful was found.

Martin said Ray sent photos of some of the bones to his department and he forwarded those to the state police crime lab. The lab scientists asked for more photos. Instead, they will get the skeleton.

Ray said Martin told him the bones will be sent to Indianapolis for analysis. Then a report will be compiled and the bones and the report will be returned to Ray, according to the retired teacher.

His intent, if the bones are from an American Indian, is to have them properly buried.

“No matter what — if they are Indian I want it to go back to some indigenous group,” Ray said.

He feels Martin is “on his team” and also wants the bones to be buried with respect.

What has weighed on Ray’s mind all these years is that the bones were the remains of someone’s relative.

“It always upset me that this was somebody’s son,” he said.

Having his story told to the public has been trying at times, Ray indicated, but he believes the outcome will be OK.

“I am very positive... that it will go right. There’s no doubt in my mind,” he said.

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