Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Human Hand on Bladensburg Road?

An odd message greeted me when I finally checked my email again. I have no other information, but here's the email:

Date: Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 3:23 PM
Subject: Human remains found at 1058-1062 Bladensburg Rd NE?
To: mpd-5d
Cc: "Groomes, Diane (MPD)"


CO Greene,

I just received a call from my partner at the diner, who was talking with a representative for the Hyacinth Place project at 1058-1062 Bladensburg Road NE. The project's representative, in casual conversation, mentioned that they discovered what appeared to be remains from a human hand while digging footers for their foundation recently.

According to this representative, they stopped construction and called Metropolitan Police upon finding the bones and a handgun with them. He alleged that responding MPD officers did not thoroughly investigate the finding, writing the remains off as animal bones even though the
"hand" was found buried with a partially-deteriorated handgun. According to him, no excavation occurred to attempt to locate other parts of the remains even though the "hand" was near the edge of the excavated hole. This account is consistent with street rumors that have been circulating recently, but this is the only first-hand information I've heard of.

Can you provide additional information and/or clarification on MPD's response to this? What steps were taken to determine if the remains were human or not? Was the handgun (with a partially-deteriorated wooden handle) recovered by MPD? Was a report taken?

While I don't have further information or a specific date for this find, it was likely within the past couple months, as I recall that being the time they excavated initially for footer construction.

Thanks,

Matt

**************************
UPDATE
**************************
I don't have a copy, but MPD reportedly sent an off list email saying the bones were confirmed as animal bones. It isn't uncommon at all for animal bones to be mistaken for human bones. This was the outcome I expected in this instance. It was just that I couldn't resist posting the email. Also, at least we get to kill that urban legend early on. 

Bones from a bear's paws, for instance, are commonly mistaken for the bones of a human hand.  I'm glad MPD is checking this stuff. If we start confusing chicken bones for human bones we'll have a lot of talk of serial killers out there.

41 comments:

Rob said...

fahhhh-reakayyy.

Anonymous said...

unoh, the 5th district police busted again.Just remember, it's not a crime, if it isn't reported by the police.

Shawn said...

Maybe like the cops in the Wire, they don't like taking hard cases because it will lower their clearance rate..

Anonymous said...

From email: "This account is consistent with street rumors that have been circulating recently, but this is the only first-hand information I've heard of."

"First-hand" - Ha.

Tom A. said...

Creepy! But on the second hand, it makes for a good urban story.

I wonder if someone liked the hand enough to put a ring on it.

Who oh oh.

4th and G said...

If the investigation is difficult, perhaps some local PI could lend a hand.

poo poo said...

4th and G:

great idea! don't ya'll think?

let's see a show of hands!

poo poo's doctor said...

i guess the police just weren't on hand...

poo poo's parole officer said...

in defense of the po-po, they do have cases hand over fist.

Derek said...

How many references to hands can we make here? Although, you have to admit that this is a real head case.

Did anyone who first discovered the remains take any pictures? If not(I don't the MPD took any)than we may never know.

poo poo's personal groomer said...

the police could have taken pictures, but let's face it: they're just not that handy.

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a hand case now Derek says its a head case. Are you pulling my leg?

Derek said...

I thought I read head in the post but it doesn't mention it all. Maybe there is one somewhere?

Annoyingmous said...

I have to hand it to you guys, you're making me laugh.

Anonymous said...

Is it a left hand or a right hand? That is valuable information in finding who it belongs to.

poo poo' said...

no one's sure. it's hard to get a HANDle on this one.

Esprit de Corpse said...

Not to point a finger, but one wonders whether things like this would be a problem if certain officials got their head in the game and encouraged certain organizations to do the requisite legwork. Granted, you have to hand it to them, no official would want to stick his neck out and end up with his foot in his mouth for promising to prevent such crime so it doesn't suprise me that they're keeping it at arms length.

Anonymous said...

No photos? You’d think the police would have a handycam in their squadcars to record the scene. Somebody has got to talk to the chief, mano a mano, to see what’s going on with these officers; I mean, I understand the point of her “all hands on deck” program, but this is ridiculous. On one hand, they’ve tried their hand at reducing crime in this area; on the other hand, there’s a problem at hand - - there are so many police who think they are such old hands that they need not respond to such a crime. They can’t wipe their hands of it, or hand it off as just another crime - - it’s getting out of hand. The chief needs to hand out reprimands, or demand these offices hand in their badges and hand over their guns - - hands down.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the police. Clearly, this was a chimp who stole a handgun from a nearby pawnshop and was inadvertently buried alive in laying the foundations of one of the fine, upstanding establishments on Bladensburg Road. Case closed.

hand of dog said...

If only the ban on non-chain restaurants recieving liquor licenses had been implemented sooner this all could have been avoided.

Anonymous said...

I think that the chupacabra has migrated north. Beware the chupacabra!

Anonymous said...

I blame global warming.

poo poo's proctologist said...

i really don't appreciate some of the backhanded comments on this thread, damnit!

the lord of purple paint said...

people, this is a potentially serious crime! having said that, i think we should all be on the lookout for any individual exhibiting characteristics consistent with slight of hand...

Anonymous said...

Attention clowns be aware you are the laughing stock of H Street.

you cry about how hard it to get a permit/utilities hmmm maybe you should have done your due diligence and conducted some preconstruction planning like apply permits / utilities prior to your arrival they don’t just magically appear.

You Cry about how they were robbed by some homeless with a butter knife / and found a human remain on they construction site.

Who’s ready for some eggs and coffee!!! LOLOL morons

Anonymous said...

@anonymous (9:11am): work on your reading comprehension...the bones were found at the hyacinth place shelter construction site and not the diner. also, reading their blog, they applied for permits and utilities back in april before the diner arrived.

Anonymous said...

http://frozentropics.blogspot.com/2009/05/capital-city-diner-arrival-in-photos.html

DCRA 60-90 days min before issuance of file job's building permit

com'on clowns do some leg work stop tweeting and do some research

www.dc.gov

FYI

ibc said...

"Attention clowns be aware you are the laughing stock of H Street."

Are these "Attention clowns" some new euphemism for "troll"? I respectfully suggest that we ignore the new "Attention Clown".

"LOLOR" indeed...

Anonymous said...

60-90 days for a building permit? That's amazingly slow....even for dc gov!

trollers have ZERO life said...

anonymous troll, i'm really happy you think you have a clue, but i'm gonna tell ya, my braindead uncle is better than you will ever be. EVER!

clown police said...

attention! i need attention!

please...

translator for dumbass said...

ummm u dig. u complain... you're such losers! ummm.... we laugh at you! ummmmmm.... yeah! UH HUH!

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' BOUT!

lolol!

right? i have to go now to study for my GED.

BYE! CLOWNS!

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clown is an ass but very true said...

guarantee that old crappy diner gets hijacked in the middle of the night by a gang of one handed thugs before these savvy business men get a permit from DCRA

had to say it. been anticipating the opening but really don't care anymore after following their blog. post your address so I can send you a box of kleenex to dry all of your tears

Anonymous said...

pahhhhhahhahahahaha

Anonymous said...

Cap dinner guys! Hey ya'll just had dinner with the the guy that robbed be with a butter knife. Named a sandwich after him "who smeared ya"

Anonymous said...

I-Phone say's the Cap Clown Diner gets 6 yelps stars

curmudgeon said...

Great. Now we have 12 year olds crapflooding the blog.

Take an English class, you morons. Maybe then someone, somewhere will be able to understand what the fsck you're writing.

Anonymous said...

http://www.capitalcitydiner.com/blog/?p=6

Why should entrepreneurs who cannot plan or work with in their budget
be rewarded while all others have to go by code/laws. (see link above
for juvenile rant)

Guys good luck but if I was a betting man I have 6/1 odds you will
FAIL based on your performance thus far

I have a good publication below that you are not qualified to read

http://www.entrepreneur.com/interstitial/default.html

curmudgeon said...

See link above for juvenile rant? Why in the world should I do that, when every single one of your posts has been a juvenile rant?

poo poo has to pee said...

i have to pee.