Here's one nobody ever discusses- what in the world was Cary Stanton doing with a box of some lady's ashes stashed randomly in a shed?

I haven't seen that one in a long time.

The only thing I can find online about it is Thor's wiki page. None of the other online sources mention the fact that a dead body was found on the property. All those articles talk about is the history of the island and the Stanton family's conservatorship or whatever.

Did the bones reveal anything besides gender? Was there a suspected cause of death or indication of how long the person had been dead?

This Stanton guy moved from New York to California to take care of the island (in the late 50s?). Did he bring his footlocker friend with him? Was she stolen from a university science lab or is she a murder victim?

If someone actually studied the remains now, a lot of secrets would be revealed. Who has custody of her? The state of california?

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Stanton_Bones

Oh, and I looked through about five years of found remains on the doenetwork's california page. She's not listed. If they want this solved, you would think there'd be a doe page or a charley page or something.

edit to add that I just looked through doenetwork's california page up through the year 1989, there's nothing about these female skeletal remains.

I have to find the story on video and watch it again. I remember that the woman was thought to be an age over 50 because of the condition of her bones, and there was a bra clasp in the ashes that was made after 1940, and that she wore a platinum and diamond eternity ring.

Can they tell whether the remains were professionally cremated? It takes a LOT to burn a body! Can they recover DNA from cremated bones?

This is what's on Thor's wiki page. From this description, it doesn't sound like professionally cremated remains. They call it "bones in a footlocker". I don't know if they assumed it was a woman from a bra clasp and ring found with the remains, or if there was a skull or pelvic bones left intact that they were able to use to determine gender.

>>>Carey Stanton inherited the island, and when he passed away in 1987, he left behind arrangements with the Nature Conservancy to take care legal custody of the property. He also took with him the secret of a set of human bones of a woman in an old footlocker in a barn on his property. Without any records, the authorities would like to get an identity of the deceased. It is unknown if the bones are the result of a crime. A date of death for the bones has not been revealed. (This case first ran on the February 12, 1992 episode.) There is no verification outside the Unsolved Mysteries segment on the discovery of the bones.<<<

This is a case that isn't discussed much. It is very intriguing. They noted that the guy who owned the island catalogued everything.

i started a thread about it not too long ago.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=209393&highlight=carey

Well, sorry wiseguy, I thought going back a year or so would be far enough. :)

I tried contacting the people now in charge on the island, but they never got back with me. My theory is they are the remains of a person who was never claimed, but then even that doesn't make sense. I dont recall the segment

sorry to bump such an old thread.
I was looking this up to see if I could find the video.

My parents were actually the ones who found the ashes. We all went out on the island because there was DDT in the shed and my father was qualified to dispose of them. They came across the box and mother investigated the story.
It was pretty cool, I think i was in like 5th grade at the time. I just remember the ranch being amazing and my father being offered to go on the show for like $150 and not doing it because he's just not that kind of guy, so they had an actor play him in a lab coat or something which I found hilarious.

My mom never figured out who it was, but she devoted a lot of time researching it. I think she wrote a chapter for a book about the island. Anyway, thats it. Cool to see people talking about it. I remember going with her to get the dental records looked at and her basically doing a ton of work, I was kind of sad she got no credit on the show.

Wow. Thanks for the insight!

I would LOVE to hear more about this case. I honestly forgot about it for quite a few years. Very fascinating.