LAWRENCE — For nearly five decades, Charlie Kuphal collected horror movie memorabilia, which included three human skulls and a full skeleton. So after fire ripped through his 71 Saunders St. home Memorial Day morning, Kuphal, 54, thought he better tell investigators they may find human bones in the giant, blackened rubble pile which was once his home. Both local and state police detectives are now making sure Kuphal's story checks out. A crane operator yesterday loaded huge chunks of debris into tractor-trailer containers. However, the crew was given explicit instructions that if any bones were spotted — they would stop immediately and let police take over. No human bones were found on Kuphal's property yesterday. But his deceased German shepherd, Max, was found in a pet coffin in the home's basement. The dog died "some time ago" and Kuphal said he was saving up money to either cremate or bury him. Police said that while Kuphal's skull and skeleton collection may be harmless, his admission about the bones was something they couldn't just take at face value. It's not illegal — but certainly unusual — to purchase human body parts, police Chief John Romero said. "We have to recover those and make the determination that these bones were purchased," Romero said. "We simply cannot just accept his version of the events. We have to cover all the bases. It very well could be as he says, but we need to verify the story." He is not a suspect in any current or past crimes, Romero said. Kuphal, who lived in the home with his longtime girlfriend, Gloria Carey, said his collection included movie posters, autographs, and models, as well as the human bones. "Stuff I've been collecting since I was little," said Kuphal. "I started collecting at 6 years old. Some of the magazines I paid just $1 per issue. They are now worth $100 apiece." Other items, including Adam West's and Ernest Borgnine's autographs, he picked up at horror movie conventions he attended annually in New Jersey. Twenty-five years ago, Kuphal said he purchased the three skulls for roughly $250 apiece and the skeleton for $2,000 from a North Carolina biological company. Lawrence detectives yesterday checked with Carolina Biological in Burlington, N.C., to corroborate the purchase, but receipts and records dating that far back were not immediately available, police said. In his 12-room Victorian home, Kuphal said he kept the skulls in antique glass cases and the full skeleton in a curio closet in a study on the first floor.
EAGLE TRIBUNE
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops