Judge Orders Burial of Mummified Baby

Newsvine ^ | 9/20/2007 | AP

[P8riot]

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A judge has ordered a man to lay an unusual family heirloom to rest: a mummified baby has been passed down for generations.

Authorities seized the mummy last year when the man's niece mentioned it to staff at a day care center.

State tests showed the baby had died of natural causes, but they didn't establish a family relationship. Now, the state won't release the remains to the Charles Peavey family without proof of kinship, and Peavey says he can't afford DNA testing.

Prosecutors raised concerns about the family's treatment of the mummy if it was returned.

The mummy, known as "Baby John," had been on display on a bureau in Peavey's home. Relatives and friends treated the mummy as a family member, giving cards during holidays and even a dried fish as a pet. Peavey said his family believes the mummy was the child of a great-great uncle.

[P8riot]

Weird. Just weird.

[Red Badger]

Weird and ghoulish.............

[lilylangtree]

alias the Addams Family.

[MeanWestTexan]

Come one, I thought everyone has a stuffed child in their den.

[ClearCase_guy]

Hence the expression: “Roll den bones”

[Loud Mime]

[Past Your Eyes]

I know I do. But then, I’m from New Hampshire.

[MeanWestTexan]

Groan -— then LOL.

[NautiNurse]

the man's niece mentioned it to staff at a day care center.

"Uncle Charlie keeps a dead baby on his dresser."

Good thing she didn't bring it in for Show & Tell.

[P8riot]

LOL!

[zencat]

Relatives and friends treated the mummy as a family member, giving cards during holidays and even a dried fish as a pet.

I suppose if you keep a mummified child in your home, the above may seem normal.

[zencat]

Weird. Just weird.

Not at all, he clearly states: "I've never treated him like a joke. No weirdness was going on," Peavey said.

[monday]

How old must a mummy be before it’s allowed to be displayed? Their are Egyptian and Peruvian mummies on display in museums. Must mummy's be buried first and then dug up in order to be displayed? What about shrunken heads and skulls? Is it illegal to own these? Lots of cadavers are owned by medical schools and not only are they displayed, they are cut up. This may be weird, but I don’t think it’s any of the judges business.

[Rinnwald]

Weird or not, where does the government come off telling someone what they can do with their own property? If it’s clearly generations old and not the focus of a crime investigation, give the people back their remains.

[dead]

[Knute]

When I was growing up in the Chicago area in the early 1960’s, our next door neighbor had a real human skeleton hanging in his garage. It was openly displayed at halloween for years.

Now you cannot even keep your own appendix in a glass jar preserved in formaldehyde

[Mark was here]

I see no harm in letting them keep their property. Freedom means the ability to be offbeat.

Heck why not have your loved ones head freeze dried, so they to can become heirlooms. People keep ashes around, so why not?

Personally, it’ not my urn of tea.

[Mark was here]

I see no harm in letting them keep their property. Freedom means the ability to be offbeat.

Heck why not have your loved ones head freeze dried, so they to can become heirlooms. People keep ashes around, so why not?

Personally, it’ not my urn of tea.

[Old Professer]

For expediency’s sake, there is soon to be published an official List of Allowances; anything not specifically on the List will henceforth be illegal.

[bigfootbob]

I tease my kids all the time I’m going to send my body to the taxidermist to be turned into an all-weather driveway sentry. Sort of like a 21st century lawn jockey. Except I want wireless video cams in my eyes, audio in the mouth area inputing info to the house monitoring system. Can you guess where I want the microphone placed?

[Chickensoup]

I dont know what is weirder,

Having a mummified baby relative on display at one’s house;

Or having the government tell one that unless one spends thousands on dna testing, one cannot continue.

[billorites]

You'd probably love the Dead Baby Museum in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Lot's of mummies there.

[pabianice]

[bigfootbob]

sorry, that zooms over my head

[GreenLanternCorps]

Human remains are not a decorative accessory. The State of New Hampshire has every right to prevent the desecration of a human body. This child’s body is not being preserved in a museum, it is being used as a decorative knick knack.

Give the child a dignified burial.

[TASMANIANRED]

Creepy for sure.

[Charlespg]

dammed freaks