‘Child’s Sk*ll’ Shipping Container Mystery Takes New Twist as SA Police Debunk Viral Claims and Warn the Public
South Australia Police has issued an unprecedented warning over claims on social media after a true crime podcaster suggested the discovery of human bones could be linked to something sinister.
The warning comes just days after South Australian senator Kerrynne Liddle retracted claims she made on social media linking last week’s Telstra outage to the death of an elderly person.
In both cases, police investigated the information before confirming the claims were unfounded.
On Tuesday, Adelaide-based podcaster Bryan Littlely claimed human remains had been found in a Pinkerton Plains shipping container, an hour north of the capital, in March, suggesting it could be “suspicious”.
A text message from Littley’s source suggested a “child’s skull” was among the remains.
“The remains, almost certainly a full human skull and various identifiable bones, are shown to be among scrap metal inside a shipping container,” he wrote on Facebook.
“The circumstances of this discovery place it firmly on my list to investigate in the hope of bringing answers to a family missing their loved one. It is confronting but people coming forward with info must be encouraged.”
In the comments, Littlely suggested SAPOL was not reporting the discovery due to a potential investigation.
“It would make sense in some incidences for police to not reveal information as they bid to corner a suspect — if it is indeed suspicious as human remains (a skull) were found in a shipping container. In this instance though, the fact the shipping container has been tipped on its side and police have today said human remains were found under a shipping container, I feel any suspect is likely aware of the discovery,” he said.
The post quickly gained traction, attracting more than 1000 reactions and hundreds of comments, with some users linking the discovery to historic missing persons’ cases, including the recent disappearance of outback four-year-old boy, August ‘Gus’ Lamont, who went missing from his Yunta farm in September 2025.
Police confirmed to 7NEWS.com.au on Wednesday that months prior to the social media post, Major Crime detectives and a forensic pathologist were called to a Pinkerton Plains property on March 11 after an anonymous report of skeletal remains.
They determined the bones were legally purchased medical teaching aids, stored inside a shipping container that was in a poor state.
During the 2015 Pinery fire, intense heat destroyed the container’s floor, causing its contents to fall beneath it.
Police confirmed the remains had not been buried and that no criminal offence had occurred.
An SA Police spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au officers were aware of Littlely’s social media posts.
“SA Police remind the public that information circulating on social media is not always accurate. Sharing unverified claims or speculation can spread misinformation and create unnecessary alarm within the community,” a spokesperson said. “Speculation about alleged deaths, missing persons or criminal activity can unnecessarily distress and retraumatise victims of crime, their families and loved ones, who may see inaccurate information circulated before the facts are established. “We encourage people to seek information from trusted sources and await verified updates before posting or sharing content online.”
Littlely has since thanked his followers for their continued support, revealing footage he said was filmed back in March, showing bones that were underneath some items in the large shipping container.
Littlely also took a swipe at SAPOL.
“As for SAPOL providing advice on social media posting… you are responsible for law enforcement. Stick to that,” he said.
The South Australian police recently spoke out about another social media post after South Australian senator Kerrynne Liddle claimed an elderly person had died last week due to the Telstra outage that affected the triple-0 emergency line.
That investigation by police found her information, from a constituent, was not entirely correct, with the elderly person dying in hospital not related to the triple-0 outage.
It remains unknown if the person who filmed the footage in March is the same person who tipped off Littley this week and if they had permission to be on the property and enter the shipping container.
It’s understood police did not publicly disclose the investigation because the remains were identified as a medical skeleton and there was no criminal matter to investigate.
Because the original report was anonymous, officers were also unable to advise the caller of the outcome.
