Investigators work to ID skull in flower pot outside church

A skull was found inside a flower pot by the front door of a Detroit church on Sunday.

Following Sunday's services, one of the members made a disturbing discovery outside Detroit's Greater Marion Chapel on Grand River.

"They thought it was like a Halloween (decoration), something that was left over that someone might have placed there," said Rev. Joseph Blankenship. "Not a real-life skull." 

Rev. Blankenship says they found a human skull in the flower pot outside the front door of the church.

"I have never in my years here in Michigan heard of a skull found anywhere near a church, or especially in a flower pot," he said.

Detroit police arrived Sunday afternoon and located the human skull, which they say was missing the lower jaw but had no other identifying clues.

Cameras from Omar Joudatt's dollar store captured video of investigators searching the alley and the surrounding area for evidence and any other remains.

"They found it and put yellow tape and blocked it," he said. 

FOX 2: "Why would a skull end up in a flower pot?"

"Because there are people that are sick, they don't have any brain," he said.

Unfortunately, no one saw the skull being placed there - and all of Joudatt's surveillance cameras were working at the time - except the one pointing toward the church. It is being upgraded.

"It's very strange," he said. "I feel bad, especially with the church there."

As investigators work to identify the remains and what lead to that person's demise, Blankenship doesn't seem phased by the gruesome find, calling it a sign of the times.

"Not to me because I know the times we are living in," said Blankenship.

The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office is working to identify the remains.