Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Human body parts found in Florida storage locker

A man who purchased the contents of a Florida storage locker made a grisly discovery when he found a batch of crudely preserved human organs inside, including hearts, brains and lungs.

One heart was reportedly found in a 32-ounce drink cup filled with formaldehyde.

Pensacola police are still trying to determine the source of the organs, locate survivors and figure out why the owner -- a former medical examiner -- had them. They're also trying to assess whether any laws were broken in the disposal of the human remains.

A phone call to Pensacola police was not immediately returned Tuesday by the time this story was posted. But the Associated Press reported that the locker contents had been traced to the previous renter, Dr. Michael Berkland.

Berkland worked at the District 1 office of the Florida Medical Examiner from 1997 until 2003, when he was fired for not completing autopsy reports, according