Mystery of the purple urn

urn 22-8-17 At Keilor Police Station Property Officer, Alyssa Egan holds an urn of ashes handed in to the police station by a member of the public.

Keilor Downs Police are putting a call out in a bid to solve one of their biggest mysteries – the case of the purple urn.

The nondescript vessel was found on the side of the road in Marriott Avenue, Keilor Downs, on February 2.

It has no distinguishing markings other than its purple colouring.

Police have confirmed that it contains ashes.

Leading Senior Constable Alyssa Egan said after six months of trying to find an owner through social media, police were running out of ideas.

“We haven’t had one person inquire, which is strange because it looks like quite a personal item,” she said.

“We get a lot of things handed in, and unidentifiable things as well, but this is totally out of the blue.

“We normally only hold on to items for three months, but we’re reluctant to dispose of it given what it is, and then the way to dispose of it becomes an issue.

“Hopefully, someone sees this and comes forward to solve the mystery.”

The urn is roughly 20 centimetres tall and quite heavy for its size.

Normally police don’t issue photos of lost items, preferring to have anyone coming in to claim something describe it to prove their ownership. But this is a special case.

“We’ll deal with anyone coming forward on a case by case basis, but we just want it to find its way home,” Senior Constable Egan said.

“We’re hoping someone who hasn’t seen any of the social media posts comes forward to claim it soon.”

If you know who the urn’s owner is, contact Keilor Downs police station on 9365 3333.