Jeremy Pauley, 40, was arrested for allegedly buying human body parts via Facebook messenger from a woman in Arkansas.
The Pennsylvanian man has been charged with abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property, and dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities, revealed the Cumberland County district attorney’s office.
Police were informed by a caller who reported finding possible human remains inside several buckets in the basement on July 8. The police were called to Pauley’s former house on North Enola Drive. After the police conducted a search warrant and seized the buckets, a forensic pathologist reported that the remains were indeed human body parts.
Some of his previous purchases included skulls from children with ‘adult teeth haven’t dropped yet’
According to a criminal complaint, those parts included the heart, brains, kidney, liver, lungs, spleen, and skin. It was reported that the remains also included half a head, a whole head, three brains, two kidneys, a female pelvis, a torso with a nipple and four human hands.
The police obtained the messages of additional purchase from Candace Scott in Arkansas. Those items were to be shipped via the U.S. Postal Service to Pennsylvania. The $4000 purchase was intercepted in Scranton and contained human remains, disclosed the district attorney’s office.
The cooperative investigation was conducted by the East Pennsboro Township Police, FBI Harrisburg, FBI Scranton, FBI Arkansas, Arkansas State Police, Cumberland County Coroners office, Cumberland County Forensics Division, Bloomsburg Police Department, United States Postal Service, and the Pennsylvania State Police.
According to the criminal complaint, the seller allegedly stole the body parts from a mortuary in Arkansas. The human remains were determined to be the property of the University of Arkansas, according to investigators. Allegedly Pauley has admitted to ordering two shipments of human body parts for monetary gain.
On Facebook, Jeremy Lee Pauley describes himself as being the owner of The Grand WunderKammer and the executive director and curator at The Memento Mori Museum.
“This is one of the most bizarre investigations I have encountered in my 33 years as a prosecutor. Just when I think I have seen it all, a case like this comes around,” District Attorney Seán M. McCormack said.
Jeremy Pauley’s friends and supporters have come out on social media. They have urged readers not to believe what his mug shot might infer. It is widely believed that Jeremy Pauley’s appearance might give the readers a wrong impression.
Pauley’s supporters have said that the woman from Arkansas who is illegally selling human body parts should be labeled as a criminal instead.
A supporter and friend of Jeremy Pauley had agreed to give a statement to TrillMag in his support. However, she did not fulfill her commitment for unknown reasons.
Pauley was released on $50,000 unsecured bail, the police revealed.
