MORGAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WZTV) —A human skull found sitting on a fireplace mantle for more than a year has been positively identified as a Tennessee man who's been missing since 2012.
According to 9th Judicial District Attorney Russell Johnson, the skull was reportedly found in March 2019 by someone in Morgan County. From there, DA Johnson says someone placed the skull on a fireplace mantle and put sunglasses on it. The skull stayed there until the Morgan County Sheriff's Office learned of its existence.
The sheriff's office recovered the skull and sent it for testing using DNA from family members of Junior Willie McCann. DA Johnson says he went missing in September 2012.
Testing performed by the Knox County Regional Forensics Center and the UT Department of Anthropology determined that the DNA and the skull were a match.
According to Johnson, investigators extensively searched the area where the skull was found. Morgan County Sheriff Wayne Potter has asked anyone with information related to Junior Willie McCann or any other missing persons to call the sheriff's office at (423) 346-6262.