Man Accused of Trying to Buy Stolen Human Remains for Possible Resale Online

A man in Pennsylvania is facing charges for allegedly trying to buy stolen human remains to potentially resell on social media.

The charges included abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, the Associated Press (AP) reported Friday:

A spokeswoman for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock confirmed that the remains had been donated to UAMS’s facility and were sent to a mortuary for cremation. UAMS spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said the remains were sent to Arkansas Central Mortuary Services in Little Rock where they were allegedly stolen by a female mortuary employee and sold, adding that there is an open federal investigation.

As of Thursday, officials had not charged the woman.

Meanwhile, police announced the arrest of Jeremy Lee Pauley, 40, an Enola resident. He was taken into custody on July 22 and appeared in court on Thursday.

A mugshot showed Pauley with tattoos on his face, neck, and what appeared to be metal spikes coming out the top of his head. One of his eyes also seemed to be darker than the other:

Pauley was reportedly let go on a $50,000 bond.

On what appeared to be his Facebook page there were images of bones and a box full of teeth. The page described Pauley as being the Executive Director and Curator at The Memento Mori Museum.

The museum’s Facebook page said it was “focused on the study and education of the human condition, cultural views on death, and how we have created longevity in life today from those before us.”

The page also featured numerous images of skulls and other items.

Meanwhile, Pauley explained the remains were acquired legally when authorities first spoke with him, according to the AP report.

Law enforcement officials discovered older human remains that were determined to be legally acquired, the outlet continued:

However, after a second tip about newer remains in Pauley’s home, investigators returned to the house to find more recent purchases. Police found three five-gallon buckets containing assorted body parts — including of children — and federal and state law enforcement agents intercepted packages addressed to Pauley from the Arkansas woman that contained body parts.

The man reportedly said he was going to resell the parts and officials alleged he planned to pay the woman $4,000 for the items via Facebook Messenger.