According to Professor Lawrence Cormack, co-curator of the collection, there is a possibility that the specimens are used for Halloween pranks. His statement also points the incident to the undergraduates although they have no idea who did it.
Psychology professor and co-curator Tim Schallert agreed that they they do not have any idea who stole it.
About 28 years ago, the Austin State Hospital and the Texas University signed an agreement called 'temporary possession' agreement.The agreement covers the transfer of the brains from the hospital to the university. They kept the brains in the psychology lab and in the basement. Only 100 brain specimens fit in the lab and the rest were kept in the basement. However, as of this moment, nothing left in the latter.
The agreement also covers the removal of any data that might identify the owner of the brain. Schaller said that Whitman's brain may be part of the group of brains that are lost and they cannot find it. Whitman had killed 16 people at a rampage in the university including his wife and mother.
The university promised that it will investigate the possible scenarios about the incident. The university kept the collection for nearly 30 years and they treat the specimens with respect. The specimens are carefully curated by the faculty and they are used as a teaching tool.
The 100 remaining specimens are now kept and scanned to the Norman Hackerman Building. A high-resolution resonance imaging equipment is being scanned for MRI images. This technique is used to preserve the brains and to keep them intact so it can be used as research tools.
Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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