Woman Charged in Head Smuggling
A Haitian national who had a skull packed in her suitcase on a flight to Florida’s Fort Lauderdale airport was charged Friday with “smuggling a human head.”
U.S. prosecutors said they also charged Florida resident Myrlene Severe, who was arrested Thursday, with failing to declare the head on a customs declaration form and transporting hazardous material.
“Severe stated that she had obtained the package, which contained the human head, from a male in Haiti for use as a part of her voodoo beliefs,” the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement.
“Severe also stated that the purpose of the package was to ward off evil spirits,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
The prosecutor’s office said bail was set at $100,000.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.