In a recent announcement by the local attorney’s office, it was revealed that a former employee of a mortuary in Arkansas has admitted to stealing body parts from cadavers donated to a medical school. The individual in question, Candace Chapman Scott, was employed at Arkansas Central Mortuary Service from October 2021 to July 15, 2022, where she was responsible for handling the transportation, embalming, and cremation of human and fetal remains.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that during her time at the mortuary, Scott took human body parts and fetal remains, which she then sold to an individual in Pennsylvania named Jeremy Pauley, whom she had connected with on Facebook. Court documents revealed that Scott sold a total of 24 boxes of stolen body parts to Pauley for a sum close to $11,000.
Following her admission of guilt, Scott pleaded guilty to charges of transporting stolen body parts across state lines and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The Eastern District of Arkansas attorney’s office stated that Judge Brian S. Miller will determine Scott’s sentencing at a later date, with a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is part of a broader investigation into the trafficking of stolen human remains, which has also implicated individuals associated with Harvard Medical School.
