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Police are investigating the discovery of a human head that washed up at Key Biscayne Beach in Florida on Tuesday morning, Nov. 12.
A beach worker in Key Biscayne, Florida, discovered the human head just before 9 a.m. on Nov. 12, according to Detective Andre Martin with the Miami-Dade Police Department, who confirmed the report to PEOPLE. The New York Post reports that authorities have not yet determined whether the head belongs to a man or woman. Police are collaborating with the Medical Examiner’s office to identify the person.
Detective Martin told PEOPLE that investigators are working diligently to figure out the cause and manner of death. He also clarified that they are not considering the case a homicide at this time.
At this point we’re not discounting any possibility,” Detective Martin said. This could be an accident or missing person, its too early to tell the circumstances.
Additionally, he mentioned to NBC News that he suspects the death could have resulted from anything ranging from a boating accident to an encounter with a marine animal.
We have not been able to determine exactly how the head became separated from the body, but there are a couple working theories, Detective Martin continued.
Authorities are investigating whether the decapitation is connected to recent cases in the area. Detective Martin mentioned that they are still looking into any potential links. Per Miami Herald, the investigation also coincides with the search for a missing 19-year-old male, allegedly last seen on November 9 after being swept away by a rip current at Miami Beach. Furthermore, Detective Martin emphasized that it is too early to confirm if the cases are related.
