SPRING HILL, Trelawny – As police began a check, Thursday, for “unauthorised disturbance of graves” to help unravel the mystery of eight charred skulls found on the side of a road in Spring Hill, Trelawny, some shocked residents questioned whether the find was linked to occult practices.

According to a police report, residents were walking along the Spring Hill road about 6:15 pm when they stumbled on the blackened remains in a garbage heap and summoned the police.

“We don’t think anyone was killed there. The skulls appeared to be old. We are theorising that somebody may have dug up somewhere and removed the skulls,” said the Trelawny police chief, Deputy Superintendent Winston Milton.

The skulls were the only body parts found at the scene, fuelling the theory that they were transported to the uninhabited area from another location.

After Forensic Crime Investigators processed the scene, the skulls were taken to the Falmouth Hospital where they were confirmed to be human remains. They were later handed over to the morgue.

While investigations continued into the bizarre find, there were speculation about their origin.

When quizzed, one woman who lives in the general vicinity of the macabre discovery said she suspects that it may be linked to individuals dabbling in the occult.

“That’s the first thing that came to mind when I heard about it. Mi a wonder if a science,” she told the Jamaica Observer, using the popular vernacular. She declined to give her name.

The woman said as far as she was aware, there had been no recent murders in the community.

Another woman expressed similar sentiments.

“I don’t know what really happening, probably some Obeah business that,” she suggested with a wry chuckle.

Occult rituals have in recent times been linked to lottery scamming activities, something which is prevalent in many western parishes. Individuals engaged in the illicit activity often turn to Obeah for protection. It is also heavily featured in some sections of dancehall culture.