The College of William & Mary needs help finding one of its heads.
The head portion of the griffin mascot costume, a regular sight at William & Mary athletic events, has vanished. Tribe Athletics staff who manage the costume discovered Wednesday the head was no longer in the locked closet in William & Mary Hall where the costume is stored.
“The costume’s wings were in a bag,” Spencer Milne, the assistant athletics director for marketing, promotions and ticket services, said in a news release. “The suit was in a bag. But I didn’t find the head.”
The complete mascot costume was last seen May 9. Milne went to check on the costume Wednesday to discover a hanger was on the inside door handle, propping the closet door open. The rest of the costume remained in place in the closet.
Staff conducted a search of the building and spoke with anyone who may have had access to the closet, but that investigation did not generate any leads.
William & Mary Spokesman Brian Whitson said there is not a replacement suit.
Milne said in the release he hopes the head will be recovered quickly undamaged. Replacing the head will take several weeks and cost about $2,000. The college does not have a replacement suit, said spokesperson Brian Whitson.
“We just want it back,” Milne said in the release. “No questions asked.”
William & Mary Police Department Interim Chief Ed Schardein said anyone who finds the head or already has it in their custody can bring it to the police department right now without facing any criminal charges.
“That won’t always be the case,” Schardein said in the release.
The griffin became William & Mary’s mascot in 2010. The mythical creature combines the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, according to the release. The next scheduled appearance for the griffin is at an employee appreciation event at William & Mary on June 17.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the griffin’s head should contact the William & Mary Police Department at 221-4596.
