A Kentucky man was detained on guns charges after allegedly selling human body remains on Facebook. Charges were brought when federal officials said they discovered his Mount Washington flat “decorated” with several human skulls.
Man Arrested in Grisly Human Body Parts Case
James Nott, 39, was reportedly connected to a network of people who purportedly acquired and traded human remains, according to federal officials. which, according to the lawsuit, was taken from the mortuary at Harvard Medical School. Last month, six persons were accused of selling human remains. when the initial allegations of thefts from the Harvard mortuary were made public.
According to court records, FBI agents looked at Facebook interactions between Nott and Jeremy Pauley, a 40-year-old Pennsylvanian from Enola who had previously been accused of participating in the fraud. They allegedly spoke about buying and selling body parts. According to court documents, Pauley agreed to enter a guilty plea to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen items. It wasn’t thought that the bones discovered in Nott’s house were from the Harvard mortuary. He reportedly tried to sell them to a person involved in the mortuary case though.
The lawsuit claims that Nott emailed Pauley images and videos of skulls. On Facebook, he was openly selling items with the note, “These will be here soon.. not claimed yet.”
The federal lawsuit claims that Nott openly advertised human remains for sale on Facebook under the moniker “William Burke,” which was allegedly a reference to a serial murderer in Scotland who sold his victims’ bodies in the early 1800s.
Man Arrested for Gruesome Home Decor
Authorities reportedly discovered multiple guns during their investigation of Nott’s flat on Tuesday. ammunition, a number of AK-47 assault weapons that were imported from outside the state, explosives, and ammunition.
Google Maps image of the residence that James Nott rented in Mount Washington, Kentucky.
According to the complaint, investigators questioned Nott before going inside the flat. When asked if there was anyone else inside, he said, “Only my dead friends.”
According to the lawsuit, police discovered further human remains within the house, including skulls, spinal cords, femurs, and hip bones.
According to the authorities, the skulls were scattered about his furniture as aesthetic accents. One of them was wearing a headscarf, while another was lying in Nott’s bed.
Pauley said that he started collecting human body parts as a means of conservation. “history, restoring it, and appreciating the wealth of knowledge that comes with it.”
“Death and our own mortality have always fascinated people, going back hundreds of years. Some people are afraid of it, while others welcome it and learn from it. That is simply the case,” Pauley stated.
Along with Maclean and another co-defendant, Joshua Taylor, the Lodges have entered a not-guilty plea. He is also charged with purchasing remains in order to sell them.
