A woman named Candace Chapman Scott, aged 37, has admitted to the charges of transporting body parts across state lines and participating in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
An ex-employee of a mortuary in Arkansas has admitted to the illegal sale of stolen human remains.
A 37-year-old woman, Candace Chapman Scott, has pleaded guilty to charges of transporting body parts across state lines and conspiring to commit mail fraud, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
In April 2023, Scott faced charges including six counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property.
Scott was employed by a mortuary service provider who handled the transportation, embalming, and cremation of remains for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The university received donated cadavers through the Anatomical Gift Program.
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Authorities have reported that on October 28, 2021, Scott, who was employed at the mortuary, reached out to a man from Pennsylvania through a Facebook group to discuss some “oddities.”
As per a plea agreement obtained by PEOPLE, Scott identified herself as a mortician at a trade service mortuary. She clarified that the mortuary had a contract with UAMS in Little Rock for the cremation of medical cadavers.
According to the plea agreement, Scott inquired with the man about potential buyers for an embalmed human brain.
Authorities reported that the two individuals engaged in the acquisition of human body parts, which were taken without permission from UAMS.
According to the plea agreement, Scott sent a total of 24 boxes containing stolen body parts from Arkansas to Pennsylvania using the U.S. Postal Service between Oct. 31, 2021, and July 15, 2022.
She was paid $10,625 for the remains.
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During a search of Scott’s residence in Little Rock on July 13, 2022, the FBI discovered a collection of stolen body parts. These included a human brain, heart, skullcap, kidneys, livers, hands, and a female pelvis with femurs, all neatly stored in boxes and trash bags.
Scott confessed to agents that she had received the payments for the body parts via PayPal. Her sentencing is still pending.