- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A bizarre discovery of a teddy bear appearing to be made of human skin sent shockwaves through a California neighborhood this week, alarming local residents and prompting an urgent police and coroner investigation. The disturbing stuffed toy, discovered Sunday afternoon at a bus stop off Bear Valley Road and a gas station in Victorville, caused initial concern about potential human remains. Witnesses said the teddy bear sported leathery, human-like skin pulled tight and sewn into its form, with creepy facial features that included a human-like nose, lips, and vacant eye sockets.
Deputies were called to the scene at about 12:30 p.m. by a concerned citizen reporting what looked like a human skin teddy bear sitting on the sidewalk, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. The bus stop and the adjacent gas station were sectioned off with crime tape for almost two hours as officials took the doll for forensic analysis. Speculation and fear spread quickly as images and videos of the creepy bear flooded social media, raising questions about possible foul play.
Forensic Specialists Determine No Human Parts
In a later statement that night, the San Bernardino County Coroner assured that the grotesque teddy bear was not made from human skin. “Our forensic pathologist determined the doll was made of fabricated material and contained no human tissue,” the statement said. Police found the bear to be part of a niche horror art trend being sold online, with some vendors making false claims that such dolls were "made from human skin" in an attempt to shock consumers.
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The mystery had an unexpected twist when South Carolina-based artist Robert Kelly, owner of Dark Seed Creations, came forward to identify the teddy bear as one of his specially custom horror props. "Yes, I created the bear on the news video," Kelly posted on Facebook. "I did send that bear to a Victorville, CA customer last week. My items are created with latex and pigments to look like human skin. I had no idea what the buyer planned to do with it."
The company's use of live castings of human models to produce hyper-realistic skin textures for horror-themed props was detailed in a recent interview with NBC News. His special products, such as "human skin" teddy bears and other gruesome items, can be bought for approximately 165 USD on sites like Etsy.
Local residents were relieved that no crime was committed but were still unsettled by the realistic quality of the prop. The Sheriff's Department has not said if it will investigate further into the intentions of the buyer, but officials did say the teddy bear has been taken down from the location. The bizarre incident highlights the sometimes blurred line between horror art and public safety concerns.
