The Coroner "Kept Several Skulls as Trophies from the Deceased He Examined"

The Coroner "Kept Several Skulls as Trophies from the Deceased He Examined" Eugene Volokh | 6.16.2026 5:25 PM A very short excerpt from yesterday's Seventh Circuit opinion in Betts v. Boone County, written by Chief Judge Michael Brennan and joined by Judge Michael Scudder: The Coroner of Boone County, Illinois, engaged in abhorrent and macabre behavior. Wesley Hyland kept several skulls as trophies from the deceased he examined. One was that of Louise Betts. Over four decades later, after the coroner's death, the County returned her skull to the Betts family. The family sued the County under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violating the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Reason.com.