A former mortuary worker in Arkansas, Candace Chapman Scott, pleaded guilty to transporting stolen body parts across state lines and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. She sold 24 boxes of stolen body parts from medical school cadavers to a Pennsylvania man for almost $11,000. Scott was employed at Arkansas Central Mortuary Services, where she would transport, cremate, and embalm remains, including those sent by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for medical students to examine.
Between October 2021 and July 2022, Scott stole human body parts and fetal remains while working for the mortuary services provider. She then sold these stolen body parts and arranged for them to be transported across state lines to the purchaser. Scott was indicted in April 2023 on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen property. An attorney representing Scott declined to comment on the case. Scott pleaded guilty under a plea agreement, and prosecutors dropped 10 other wire and mail charges against her. She faces up to 10 years in prison for the transporting stolen property charge and up to 20 years for the mail fraud charge.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock has stated that the remains of cadavers donated for medical students to examine were sent to Arkansas Central Mortuary Services, where Scott was employed. Scott’s role in the scheme to steal and sell human body parts is part of what prosecutors have described as a nationwide operation involving the Arkansas mortuary and Harvard Medical School. The case also involved other defendants charged in similar schemes. Donna Mendell was one of the contributors to the case.
Scott’s sentencing is set for a later date, where she could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the stolen property charge and 20 years for the mail fraud charge. The guilty plea by Scott sheds light on the illegal practices within the mortuary industry and the trafficking of human body parts. The case highlights the need for stricter regulations and oversight in the handling of human remains to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. As the investigation into the nationwide scheme continues, more details may emerge about the scope and impact of these illegal activities on the medical and mortuary communities.
