It's much too heavy for ribs. The only place that makes sense (to me) in the leading edge would be directly under the engine. The rest of the leading edge needs large cutouts to let de-icer air recirculate and exhaust. This object has one small hole below that large broken hole on each leg, too small for much air to move. Compare that to the material removed in the leading edge image I posted above.
Under the engine it might support the de-icing duct that makes a Y there, or support the overwing cooling duct. Neither of those feels right, as I said earlier, because the pipe would be passing through the hole.
Here's a head-on view of an Electra showing landing lights. It might be a bracket for those. That would be right at the edge of the wing destruction.
https://ibb.co/fvc4Hm
It feels like some kind of bracket or stand-off. Something related to ailerons perhaps, but I don't have the relevant manual sections.
Not sure whether you're funnin' us with your forensic theory diagnostic tool description. Got a name for that?