Ky. man allegedly decorated his house with stolen human remains, including 40 skulls

BULLITT, Ky. (TCD) -- Federal officials are alleging a man participated in a nationwide scheme to buy and sell body parts from different morgues, including the Harvard Medical School.

On June 14, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cedric Lodge, Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, Denise Lodge, Matthew Lampi, and Jeremy Pauley were charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. Another woman, Candace Chapman, was indicted in Arkansas.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a "nationwide network of individuals bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary."

Cedric Lodge worked at the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School and allegedly stole body parts. He and his wife Denise then reportedly sold them to the other co-defendants. Joshua Taylor allegedly went into the morgue at Harvard Medical School and would "examine cadavers to choose what to purchase." Sometimes he reportedly took the remains back to Pennsylvania.

Pauley reportedly agreed in June to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and interstate transportation of stolen property, according to WHP-TV.

On July 11, 40-year-old James Nott was arrested in Bullitt County for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He reportedly owned an AK-47, a revolver, and other firearms, as well as ammunition. He was convicted in November 2011 for possession of an unregistered destructive device and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of marijuana.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, however, allege Nott participated in the buying and selling of human remains with the aforementioned defendants. Last year, Pauley became Facebook friends with "William Burke," allegedly a pseudonym for Nott. William Burke was a serial killer in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1827 and 1828.

A PayPal account also reportedly listed Nott’s email address.

Nott, under the William Burke username, exchanged Facebook messages with Pauley about buying and selling human body parts.

On July 11, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Nott’s home and when they asked if anyone else was there, he reportedly responded, "Only my dead friends."

During the seizure of firearms, agents reportedly "located human remains including approximately 40 skulls, spinal cords, femurs, and hip bones."

The skulls were "decorated around the furniture."

One of the skulls even had a headscarf around it. Another was reportedly on Nott’s bed. Investigators located a Harvard Medical School bag inside his home, too.

So far, Nott has not been charged in connection with the human remains found inside his home.

MORE:

• Bullitt County Man Arrested and Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon - U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky
• Six Charged With Trafficking In Stolen Human Remains, 6/14/2013 - U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
• Harvard morgue manager accused of selling stolen body parts, including heads, brains, bones, 6/15/2023 - TCD
• Pa. man who collects human bones arrested for allegedly buying organs, skulls, other remains on Facebook, 8/18/2023 - TCD
• Arkansas woman pleads not guilty to selling stolen body parts to man in Pennsylvania, 5/1/2023 - TCD