Police: Pennsylvania man tried to buy stolen human remains

A Pennsylvania man was charged with abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and different fees after police say he allegedly tried to buy stolen human remains from an Arkansas lady for doable resale on Facebook.

A spokeswoman for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock confirmed that the remains have been to be donated to UAMS’s facility. UAMS spokeswoman Leslie Taylor stated they have been as a substitute stolen from Arkansas Central Mortuary Services in Little Rock by a feminine mortuary worker and offered, including that there’s an open federal investigation.

“We are very respectful of those who donate their bodies, and we are appalled that such a thing could happen,” Taylor stated.

A consultant of the mortuary hung up on a reporter who reached out for remark Thursday.

FBI Little Rock spokesman Conor Hagan stated the office was conscious of the Pennsylvania incident “but will not comment on ongoing investigations.” No fees had been filed as of Thursday towards the Arkansas lady.

East Pennsboro Township Police in Pennsylvania introduced the arrest of and fees towards 40-year-old Jeremy Lee Pauley, of Enola, Pennsylvania. Pauley had been arrested on July 22 and had an preliminary court docket look Thursday.

Calls to an legal professional representing Pauley weren’t returned late Thursday. Pauley was launched on $50,000 bond, in accordance to court docket information.

“I think I’ve seen it all, and then something like this comes around,” stated Sean McCormack, district legal professional for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, the place Pauley was charged. “The question we had to answer was, Is the sale of body parts or bones and remains illegal … or legal? Some of it, to our surprise, was legal. And as the investigation went on, it became clear there was illegal activity going on as well.”

Pauley, who described himself as a collector of what he referred to as “oddities,” together with human physique elements, stated the remains have been acquired legally when first contacted by police, in accordance to a police affidavit. Police initially discovered what they described as older human remains together with full skeletons that they decided have been legally obtained.

However, after a second tip about newer remains in Pauley’s residence, investigators returned to the home to discover newer purchases. Police discovered three five-gallon buckets containing assorted physique elements— together with of youngsters— and federal and state legislation enforcement brokers intercepted packages addressed to Pauley from the Arkansas lady that contained physique elements.

Pauley informed investigators that he meant to resell the physique elements, in accordance to the affidavit. Investigators allege that Pauley organized to pay the Arkansas lady $4,000 for the physique elements by way of Facebook Messenger.

A message to a Facebook spokesman was not returned late Thursday.

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Associated Press author Kantele Franko of Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.