10 years after its discovery, mystery of skull endures

 
 An image from a forensic reconstruction. Experts say the victim may have been Asian or American Indian.


On an overcast October Saturday in 2002, 12-year-old Keenan Blaisdell spotted a black garbage bag near two rocks while he was hiking a steep hill. He poked it with a stick, tearing the plastic. A small reddish skull rolled out.
At first, he and others thought it was from a deer. Then they saw the holes for the eyes and nose.
Now, nearly 10 years after Blaisdell and fellow Prior Lake Boy Scouts discovered the skull near Houlton, Wis. -- and after detectives recently chased one especially promising lead all the way to Japan -- investigators are back to square one. The skull's identity remains a mystery, and the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office is again asking for the public's help.
"If you know of a missing individual who might have fit the profile, or if you have any information that you [think] might help us, whether it's just a story that you've heard, or a comment, or rumor, we'd be happy to take that call and follow up," Sheriff John Shilts said. "Who knows where it might lead?"
10 years after its discovery, mystery of skull endures | StarTribune.com