Body Parts Found in Auctioned Florida Storage Unit
For $900, the winning bid at a Pensacola storage auction got the contents of Unit B12 — and a police investigation.
Police say body parts belonging to more than 100 people were found stored in formaldehyde inside the unit, in plastic containers, specimen cups, trash bags and even a 32-ounce Styrofoam cup from a convenience store. Some of the containers had cracked and leaked, police said.
The discovery was reported to police Friday after the purchaser of the unit began going through the items, said George Klages, manager of Uncle Bob’s Storage.
Investigators know the unit was rented by Michael Berkland, a former associate medical examiner, but they’re now trying to figure out if a crime was committed, said Capt. David Alexander of the Pensacola Police Department.
He said authorities have made some attempts to reach Berkland, who worked for the Medical Examiner’s Office between 1997 and May 2003, when he was fired for failing to complete autopsy reports in a timely manner.
