Police: Item found in river probably cow's tongue — attached to photos of fetus

Atibordee Kongprepan / Flickr

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - Chicago Police detectives believe an object found in the Chicago River, initially thought to be a human body part, is actually a cow tongue.

“It appears to be a cow tongue,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Monday.

“It was attached to photos of a fetus, so perhaps it was an advocacy statement of some kind.”

Final determination will rest with the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, Guglielmi said.

The object was discovered Sunday by Chicago Police Marine Unit officers at 3:09 p.m. in the 2200 block of West Diversey in the North Side Avondale neighborhood, according to Chicago Police.

Monday, the Medical Examiner’s office issued a statement: “After examination by a forensic pathologist, it was determined that what was found was not a human remain.”