A Pirate’s Final Resting Place? Peg Leg Pete Now Under Legal Scrutiny

The fate of Fernandina Beach’s beloved Peg Leg Pete statue just took a strange turn — into burial law territory.

Former Fernandina Pirate Club member Billy Taylor revealed on social media that he discovered, removed and then replaced human cremains inside the wooden statue several years ago during a restoration project. His post came two days after the Historic District Council (HDC) met to consider whether the 12-foot, nearly 50-year-old statue should be relocated or replaced.

Now, the city must determine whether Florida’s burial laws apply before making any decisions about Peg Leg Pete’s future.

City Attorney Teresa Prince was notified of the possibility of cremated human remains shortly before the HDC meeting and is now reviewing how to proceed under Florida law, which strictly regulates the treatment and relocation of human remains — even cremated ones.

"I do have some concerns that we have to make, we may have to take specific measures or whoever removes it would have to take specific measures if there are cremains in there," Prince said at the meeting. "I mean to the best of my knowledge is just what I've heard today is you know nobody approved them being in there from what I understand, so more research would have to be done."

According to Taylor, the ashes belonged to a deceased Pirate Club member. He said he found them during a past restoration, temporarily secured them at the now-defunct Maritime Museum of Amelia Island, and later reinterred them in the statue using epoxy resin.

“I found those ashes, after being told they were there,” Taylor wrote in a Facebook post. “I temporarily removed them and locked them in the Treasure Museum for protection, right on top of a 74-pound silver bar from the Atocha wreck. After repairs to the internal structure were made, I filled it full of epoxy resin and re-interned the ashes within.”

The “Treasure Museum,” formally the Maritime Museum of Amelia Island, operated in a converted icehouse on South 2nd Street. Founded in 2011 by treasure diver Doug Pope, the small, nonprofit museum showcased Amelia Island’s maritime past, including shipwreck artifacts and Spanish treasure fleet relics. It was distinct from the Amelia Island Museum of History on 3rd Street.

The first step for the city is to confirm whether human ashes are actually inside the statue. Several non-invasive methods may be used, such as:

• Inspection by a qualified conservator or forensic expert

• Portable X-ray or industrial CT scanning (via university, hospital, or NDT vendor)

• Use of a borescope through existing openings in the statue

• Weight and density check to detect a container

• Full documentation and chain-of-custody of any findings

If remains are confirmed, the city would need to follow Florida’s unmarked burials statute, which requires:

1. Halting any actions that could disturb the remains

2. Notifying the District 4 Medical Examiner

3. Determining legal jurisdiction based on how long ago the death occurred

4. Removal of the remains only by a licensed funeral director

5. Written authorization from a legally authorized person (LAP) or a court

The LAP is defined by statute — starting with the decedent’s written instructions, then spouse, adult children, parents, and so on.

Pirate Club President Joe Brown told the HDC that members he had tried, unsuccessfully, to contact the family of the deceased member after discovering the ashes.

"As far as ashes, yes there are. I've seen them, they are there. They're not in the time capsule (in the base) they're in the statue. When we took him down a couple years ago, it's (ashes) still there, we never really thought much about it," Brown told HDC members. "We figured they (ashes) would stay in Pete and go with wherever Pete was. A couple of years ago we actually tried to contact the (deceased) person's son and didn't really have any luck to see if they were interested in you know obtaining them or whatever."

Under Chapter 497, the disinterment and reinterment of human remains must be carried out in the physical presence of a licensed funeral director, and only with proper authorization. The final disposition — such as inurnment, return to family, or other lawful placement — must follow the LAP’s direction and any conditions set by the medical examiner.

Several years ago, the cost to restore Peg Leg Pete was estimated at $23,000. The addition of potential cremains complicates matters — and brings new costs related to inspection, legal compliance, and possibly relocating the remains.

For now, the city is moving carefully. Peg Leg Pete may not be going anywhere until the full story inside the statue is confirmed — and legally resolved.