CORYDON, Ind. (WHAS11) -- A piece of candy is now a piece of evidence in Corydon, Indiana after one mother told WHAS11 News that she found a metal rod in her daughter’s Halloween candy.
“This metal object was sticking out, just a little bit,” Kailee Wisnoski told police Wednesday afternoon.
Wisnoski said she took her daughters trick-or-treating on Walnut Street in downtown Corydon. She was sifting through their treats later that night when she noticed the chocolate bar wrapper was already open. A closer look revealed the piece of metal.
“The first thought that came to my mind was anger. I was mad. Then I just sat and thought, it was better for me to have grabbed that piece of candy then one of my girls,” she said.
Wisnoski handed the candy over the Corydon Police Chief and then filed a police report. Before that, she took to social media to send a warning to other parents. Comments suggested it could have been a manufacturer mistake.
Corydon Police Chief Matthew Kitterman said he contacted Mars, Inc., and was told it likely did not come from their plant.
“They have metal detectors before anything leaves the building so they think their metal detectors would've noticed this,” Chief Kitterman explained.
Chief Kitterman said they'll use the wrapper to try and track the candy back to who bought it and see if this was intentional.
“You never know what people are capable of, my hope is that that's not what it is, but if it is, we will do what we have to do to bring them to justice,” Chief Kitterman said.
Chief Kitterman says he's never come across a case like this before, and it appears to be just as rare on a national level. Professor Joel Best at the University of Delaware has been tracking cases of sharp objects in Halloween since 1959.
“I can't find any evidence that any child was ever killed or seriously hurt by a contaminated treat by trick or treating,” he told WHAS 11 News over the phone on Wednesday.
He said of the hundred cases he's come across, more than 90% were hoaxes.
Wisnoski said her story is the real-deal.
“I would never intentionally do something like that just to get a reaction out of somebody,” Wisnoski explained.
She said she just wants to warn other parents to be diligent when it comes to checking their children’s Halloween candy.
►Contact reporter Heather Fountaine at hfountaine@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Heather) and Facebook.
