Getting the finger takes on a whole new meaning

Only in America could giving someone the finger be something taken literally. Not too long ago, our friend Anna Ayala considered suing fast food restaurant Wendy's because she bit into someone else's finger while eating some Wendy's Chili. In a bizarre twist to the case, authorities still have no idea to whom the finger belonged. The same cannot be said for this finger found in pint of frozen custard.

Clarence Stowers of Wilmington, NC found a surprise in the pint of chocolate custard he bought at a nearby Kolh's frozen custard store. While savoring the custard, he got a mouthful of old Brandon Fizer. . or, more accurately, Fizer's right index finger. Twenty-three year old Fizer lost the finger when he accidentally stuck his hand in a mixing machine which lopped off his index finger at the knuckle. Despite being back at the store 30 minutes after the accident, Stowers refused to return the finger because he wanted to "preserve the evidence" should he decide to file suit against Kohls.

"The general manager attempted to retrieve it and rush it to the hospital," reads a statement posted Thursday on Kohl's Web site. "Unfortunately, the customer refused to give it to her and declared that he would be calling the TV stations and an attorney as he exited the store."

Officials at the hospital Fizer was taken to also attempted to retrieve the finger, in the hopes it could be surgically re-attached, without luck.

According to Stower's attorney, Lee Andrews, his client is concerned about possible disease in the fingertip and kept it because he wanted someone to test it for "all the diseases that are out here now." Apparently, it didn't occur to Stowers (or his attorney) that, as the owner of the finger was known, testing for disease could have easily been performed even if they'd returned the finger (more easily and accurately as a matter of fact).

"He's upset to the point that he's been debilitated to some degree," Andrews said. "Emotionally, it's been very upsetting to him."

Stowers was so debilitated by his distress, he place the finger and custard in his home refrigerator and would only take it out to show television cameras. Stower has since placed the finger in protective custody at an undisclosed location.

Fizer has been dealing with his loss in private - there's no word on whether he's been debilitated at all.

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