Construction workers at a Boston pier discovered what appeared to be a human skull encased in concrete last week, sparking speculation that it could be the remains of a mob hit victim, possibly linked to figures like Whitey Bulger.
The find occurred Thursday as workers were sawing through a concrete section of the pier. Photos show the unmistakable shape of a human skull emerging from the broken slab.
The skull was discovered encased in concrete Thursday.
Workers told NBC 10 Boston that they “could not believe what they were seeing,” prompting them to call police immediately.
The apparent skull was collected, bagged, and sent to a medical examiner for analysis. Meanwhile, speculation arose over whether the find could finally close an old cold case—or spark a new investigation.
“A gut reaction is to make some connection to a mob hit,” said former Massachusetts state trooper Todd McGhee.
“The location was likely chosen because it was remote, with no expectation of human interaction,” he added. “And lo and behold, the skull was discovered.”
Initial speculation suggested the skull could be a victim of a mob hit linked to Whitey Bulger—a theory that wasn’t entirely far-fetched.
Boston’s notorious history of organized crime includes numerous murders connected to Bulger and his Winter Hill Gang, which terrorized the city for decades beginning in the 1970s.
However, the intrigue was short-lived.
On Monday, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed, according to the Boston Globe, that the skull was in fact fake.
How it ended up at the pier remains unclear, and no further details have been released regarding any ongoing investigation into the matter.
