A former morgue worker in Alabama has been handed a 15-year federal prison sentence for selling human body parts to a disgusting collector.
Morgue worker stole body parts from university
Candace Chapman Scott, 37, carried out her illicit activities through the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Anatomical Gift Program.
She connected with Jeremy Lee Pauley, a Pennsylvania man she encountered in a Facebook group dedicated to openly discussing the sale of human remains, according to Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
Scott was convicted of orchestrating the transport of stolen human parts across state lines and conspiring to commit mail fraud, as reported by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. She had pleaded guilty to the charges in April.
Prosecutors revealed that Scott’s offenses, committed between October 2021 and July 2022, included selling various human body parts to Pauley.
The grisly list of items featured a skull, a brain, an ear, an arm, and even internal organs such as lungs, hearts, and testicles.
Morgue worker sold body parts to disturbed collector
Pauley, who calls himself an “oddities collector,” reportedly paid her $10,625 in total for 24 boxes containing these gruesome items.
Authorities note that this transaction was a part of a larger underground operation tied to body thefts from institutions like Harvard Medical School and several mortuaries.
Upon investigating Scott’s residence, officials found evidence of additional body parts.
She admitted to packaging and selling them while working in the mortuary.
What shocked investigators further was the revelation that Scott informed Pauley about her plan to return incorrect ashes of cremated remains to families who had lost children, intending to mislead them about the true fate of the deceased, according to the prosecution.
“Imagine learning that the cremated remains of your child given to you after their death were not actually those of your child, because instead the FBI recovered the body of that child in another state.
That is the shocking truth that happened in this case for the family of ‘Baby Lux,’” said Ross in a press release.
“Baby Lux was named ‘Lux Siloam,’ which means ‘light sent,’ and now his light has illuminated an evil and dark underworld of criminals who engage in the trafficking of stolen human bodies and body parts,” Ross added.
At the hearing, Doneysha Smith, Lux’s grieving mother, shared her heartbreak and described the ongoing trauma due to “my son being sent around the mail like an Amazon package,” noted the Gazette.
Judge Brian S. Miller described as Scott’s crimes as “some of the worst” he’s ever witnessed.
FBI investigators called the case “a truly incomprehensible and detestable crime.”
“This sentencing does not reverse the immeasurable damage that has been caused to the victimized families, however, the FBI and our partners will continuously work to ensure justice is served for all,” said Alicia D. Corder, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Little Rock office.
Police heat on Pauley led to Scott’s downfall
Meanwhile, Pauley pleaded guilty to conspiracy and trafficking stolen property across state lines in September, 2023.
Originally, authorities arrested him on charges of corpse abuse, receipt of stolen property, and engaging in unlawful business activities.
Pauley attracted law enforcement’s attention after he posted disturbing images on Facebook—showcasing stacks of human bones, including ribs, femurs, and teeth, that were allegedly for sale.
The since-deleted social media profile he used, named “The Grand Wunderkammer,” described itself as catering to “vendors of the odd and unusual, museum exhibits, guest lectures, live entertainment, and so much more!”
Pauley consistently claimed his items were lawfully sourced, describing himself as a legal collector of unusual artifacts.
During their first search at Pauley’s home, officers found older skeletons they determined had been obtained legally.
However, subsequent information led to a second search, revealing far more troubling findings.
Investigators uncovered three five-gallon buckets filled with human remains, including organs such as lungs, kidneys, and a heart, along with skin, fat, and a child’s jawbone with teeth.
When federal authorities cross-referenced these discoveries, they intercepted several shipments addressed to Pauley that had originated from Scott, solidifying her involvement in the case.
In March, Pauley was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to a charge of abuse of a corpse on the state level.
He is currently out on bond while awaiting sentencing for his federal crimes, after pleading guilty to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property last year.
Pauley is still facing up to 15 years in federal prison.
