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Dr. Roland Kohr, longtime forensic pathologist and host of the Kohroner Chronicles podcast, is no stranger to serious and sometimes chilling stories. But in a recent episode, he recounted a case that brought unexpected humor, involving hearts, pranks, and an unforgettable Thanksgiving Day.

A Midwest Prank Takes a Bizarre Turn

As Dr. Kohr explained, mischievous pranks have long been a Halloween tradition across the Midwest,  such as lighting a bag of dog feces on fire on someone’s porch. But one year, a prankster raised the stakes.

Instead of a flaming bag, homeowners in Terre Haute found an unlit paper sack containing a piece of meat. Upon closer inspection, they realized they were staring at what appeared to be a heart, possibly a human one. Alarmed, they immediately called 911.

First Stop: The ER — And More Questions

Police arrived quickly and retrieved the strange specimen. With the hour growing late, officers took the heart to Union Hospital’s emergency room, hoping an ER doctor could identify it.

However, as Dr. Kohr noted, ER doctors rarely handle whole human hearts outside of very specialized fields like open heart and transplant surgery or autopsy pathology. The doctor on duty admitted he couldn’t tell if it was human, and recommended they call the coroner.

The task fell to Dr. Kohr, who arranged to meet officers the next morning at the hospital.