Skull of former mayor stolen from mausoleum near Halloween. - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

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"McQuain, a freshman art major at the time described as a “gifted artist,” planned on using the skull as a guide for his sculpture class. He even received an art scholarship from SU. But getting caught with the skull, which he robbed from a mausoleum, would change his entire SU career."
"Investigators found smashed and splintered caskets, bones and decomposed parts strewn across the mausoleum floor — though McQuain and others said the mausoleum was broken into and destroyed before McQuain discovered a skull out in the open."
"While Ridlon said McQuain was “stupid,” he said people had started using the mausoleum for shelter. Copies of newspapers dating back several years were stacked in the mausoleum, Ridlon said, indicating that McQuain did not open the mausoleum. "
"McQuain was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, but also had his scholarship taken away. After completing his second year at SU, he left school because he could no longer afford it, The Post-Standard reported in 2002."
"The story reached national headlines, with versions published by The New York Times and United Press International."
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"Kevin McQuain was stuck with the nickname. He realized that in 1988, on his first visit home to New York City from Syracuse University. His name was central to a creepy story told on National Public Radio, and in Penthouse magazine, and in just about every media outlet in between." "That autumn, as an 18-year-old freshman art student at SU, McQuain was caught with the skull of 19th century Syracuse Mayor John J. Crouse."
"He and his friends would sometimes go into the nearby cemetery to drink their wine coolers, where they'd see older men and women - McQuain describes them as leather-wearing "metalheads" - having their own parties. One night, McQuain recalls, some metalheads asked if he wanted to see a human skull. They took McQuain to a window at the Crouse mausoleum. He saw the skull on the floor, amid scattered body parts, beer bottles and trash."
""On a dare ... I went in and got (the skull)," McQuain said." "The three students carried it back to Flint Hall in a paper bag, where McQuain boiled the skull and tried to clean it off. It stunk. Another student called SU security, who brought in the police. McQuain was arrested and all hell broke loose, especially when it turned out that the skull belonged to Crouse, mayor of Syracuse in 1876."

Type of publication: Newspaper When was the article reported?: 10/31/2002 Publication: The Daily Orange and The Post-Standard Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: national News Category: Crime

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