Official Report Received On Wawasee Skull

Based on dental and cranial studies, Kosciusko County Coroner Larry Ladd said the skull found in Lake Wawasee in May belonged to a 20- to 35-year-old male Native American.

Ladd received the official report from Dr. Steven Nawrocki, a forensic anthropologist with the University of Indianapolis, today.

The skull was found in Lake Wawasee, Syracuse, in May by Debra A. Thomas, East Hatchery Road, Syracuse. She was rock hunting near the south side of the lake. After digging up the skull, she put it on the shore and called authorities.

Ladd said it could not be determined how long the skull was in the water or when the Native American male died, according to the report. There was a presence of snails and sedimentary characteristics on the skull from the water, he said.

Most likely, the skull washed up from an old graveside from the shoreline, Ladd said. Another option, he said, could be that someone had the skull, didn't know what to do with it and threw it in the water.

The skull will be turned over to the state archaeologist, who will have custody of it until further notice.

Ladd said a portion of the skull will be retained for DNA comparison "in case something comes up."

In early stages of the investigation of the skull, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department explored the possibility that the skull was a victim of serial killer Herb Baumeister. Baumeister reportedly murdered several homosexual males between 1993 and 1996 in Indianapolis.

The case was linked to Kosciusko County because authorities said Baumeister's mother had a cottage on Lake Wawasee, one-eighth of a mile from where the skull was found.

"They did compare frontal X-rays with those known to be Baumeister's victims. None of those matched at all," Ladd said.

He also said the skull was determined to be Native American based on the dental examination. The teeth suggested "a non-modern diet. The diet probably consisted of high fiber and abrasives," which caused the teeth to wear away.

As for the possibility of any more bones being found in Lake Wawasee, Ladd said, "a week or two after they found it, they did do another dive, but they didn't find anything."

However, Ladd said if the grave is near the lake, more bones could possibly surface.