Human skulls and other human remains were discovered and decorated around a man’s house in Kentucky by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The FBI discovered scores of human skulls after conducting a search warrant around US man’s house named James Nott, 39, in Mt. Washington, just southeast of Louisville, according to Newsweek.
According to the Independent, authorities have linked the crime to the nationwide Harvard mortuary trafficking scam, in which a network of individuals was reportedly involved in trafficking human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School’s mortuary.
When the FBI asked the man if anyone else was in his home, Nott allegedly replied, “Only my dead friends.”
According to court filings, when the FBI investigated the house, they discovered 40 human skulls, spinal cords, femurs, hip bones, and a Harvard Medical School bag.
Also read: Harvard researchers claim they’ve found anti-ageing chemical
According to federal authorities, the man is accused of selling human remains that he hung on his bed and furniture as eerie home decor. The man allegedly assisted the ring in buying and selling the bones.
Nott, on the other hand, has not been charged with any offences involving body parts. However, because he is a convicted felon, he is facing a federal prosecution of possessing a handgun by a prohibited person.
According to WLKY, the man communicated with Jeremy Pauley, a man in Pennsylvania who possessed human organs and skin. The individual also had contacts with others looking to sell human remains.
“How much is the total price for the couple and the last video you sent, plus the spines?” Pauley is said to have asked Nott before assuring him that he would be compensated.
Pauley was later examined, and he revealed the network of body part traders to authorities.
According to the New York Post, the inquiry also discovered that Cedric Lodge, a long-time employee of Harvard Medical School, allowed customers to come inside a mortuary unit of the Ivy League school to select out portions of corpses to buy.
According to an indictment issued last month in the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Lodge is now facing federal charges for stealing, selling, and transporting the body parts.
Nott and Pauley were discovered by the authorities via Facebook communications.
Nott is being held without bond and will be arraigned on August 4.
