A former mortuary worker in Arkansas has pleaded guilty to selling 24 boxes of stolen body parts from medical school cadavers to a Pennsylvania man for nearly $11,000, Associated Press reported on Thursday (Apr 25).

A former mortuary worker in Arkansas has pleaded guilty to selling 24 boxes of stolen body parts from medical school cadavers to a Pennsylvania man for nearly $11,000, Associated Press reported on Thursday (Apr 25). Thirty-seven-year-old Candace Chapman Scott pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. Scott had pleaded not guilty when she was indicted in 2023 in the case. The report said that Scott was among the several people charged in what prosecutors called a nationwide scheme to steal and sell human body parts from an Arkansas mortuary and Harvard Medical School. Also read | Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, announces White House bid An indictment sealed in 2023 accused the woman of setting up the transactions with Jeremy Pauley, the Pennsylvania man she met through a Facebook group. In September, Pauley pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the theft and sale of the body parts from the Arkansas mortuary and Harvard. Scott's prison sentence Under a plea agreement with Scott, federal prosecutors dropped 10 other wire and mail charges sought against her. But she faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine on the transporting stolen property charge. Scott also faces up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine on the mail fraud charge. She worked at the Arkansas Central Mortuary Services, where part of her job was to transport, cremate, and embalm remains. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences said that’s where the medical school sent remains of cadavers that had been donated for medical students to examine. The indictment Last year's indictment alleged that Scott approached Pauley in October 2021 and began offering to sell him remains from the medical school that the mortuary was supposed to cremate and return. It alleged that over the next nine months, Scott sold Pauley fetuses, brains, hearts, lungs, genitalia, large pieces of skin, and other body parts. The indictment also alleged that at one point, Scott sold the remains of a fetus at a discount, writing “he’s not in great shape.” (With inputs from agencies)

Ex-mortuary worker in US pleads guilty to selling 24 boxes of stolen body parts

A morgue manager at the prestigious Harvard Medical School (HMS) has been charged with selling stolen body parts. According to US prosecutors, on Wednesday (June 14), Cedric Lodge, the morgue manager, allegedly took dead body parts from his workplace without permission and then sold them.

A morgue manager at the prestigious Harvard Medical School (HMS) has been charged with selling stolen body parts. According to US prosecutors, on Wednesday (June 14), Cedric Lodge, the morgue manager, allegedly took dead body parts from his workplace without permission and then sold them. Lodge, 55, has been charged alongside his wife Denise Lodge and five other alleged co-conspirators for involvement in a "nationwide network" of bought and sold human remains. According to a report by the Boston Globe, the FBI's Boston office said that special agents arrested the Lodges and a codefendant Katrina Maclean without incident. Three other defendants face charges in Pennsylvania, and one was previously indicted in Arkansas In a statement, US attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Gerard Karam said, "Some crimes defy understanding." "It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing," Attorney Karam added. Appalled to learn something so disturbing could happen: Harvard In a joint statement, George Daley, the dean of Harvard University's medicine faculty, and Edward Hundert, dean of medical education, said, "We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus." Lodge managed the morgue for Harvard's anatomical gifts program and was fired from his post on May 6. Prosecutors said that from 2018 to 2022, he stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. The 55-year-old is accused of taking the human remains from the Harvard site in Boston to his hometown in Goffstown. From here, he and Denise sold the remains to two other accused- Katrina Maclean and Joshua Taylor, who then sold them for profit. The indictment According to a report by the Boston Globe, a federal grand jury indictment alleged that Lodge spent years diverting organs and cadaver parts that had been donated to the medical school’s Anatomical Gift Program and were supposed to be cremated. The indictment further alleged that Maclean shipped human skin to Taylor to have him "tan the skin to create leather." Maclean, who owns Kat's Creepy creations, has been charged with trafficking in stolen human remains, among other counts. On Wednesday, Cedric and Denise made separate court appearances in Concord. They were released on personal recognisance and must appear in federal court in Pennsylvania, where the case is being prosecuted, the report added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Morgue manager at Harvard Medical school charged with selling stolen body parts

More than 71 lakh infections. More than 4 lakh deaths. This is what the virus from Wuhan has done to the world. Here are the latest numbers. The US still leads in coronavirus cases with more than 19 lakh 61,000 and counting. The death toll is more than 1,01,100.

Following America is Brazil with more&nbsp;than 7 lakh 7000 cases and over 37,000 deaths.

Russia is at number three with more than 4 lakh 84,000 cases followed by the UK with over 2 lakh 88,000 cases and &nbsp;40,000 deaths. India remains on the fifth spot. More than 2 lakh 68,000 cases. Out of this, 1 lakh 29,000 are active cases. 1 lakh 29,000 people have recovered There have been more than 7,400 deaths.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a study claims virus first appeared in August 2019 contrary to earlier report of December 2019. This is a study by the Harvard Medical School. It is based on the hypothesis that the coronavirus was circulating in the community prior to being identified. Researchers say this hypothesis is backed by the fact that at least 14 of the first identified cases had no direct link to wet markets.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-did-coronavirus-hit-wuhan-in-august-2019-304662/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In addition, the virological samples of wildlife at these markets could not be linked to the coronavirus. Now to further prove their claims, the researchers used two methods. First, they looked at high-resolution satellite images taken between 2018 and 2020. These were images of 6 speciality hospital parking lots in Wuhan. The researchers say these images show an increase in traffic outside five of these hospitals between august and December.

They also obtained daily data for symptom-related online searches. They focused on search volumes of two terms --cough and diarrhoea.

The traffic spike in august apparently coincided with a rise in online searches for information regarding these symptoms. Meaning, an inordinately high number of people were searching for these terms. Which leads to the conclusion that they, or someone they knew, was suffering from these things.

China has dismissed this report. It&nbsp;called it ridiculous. The rest of the world is reporting it.

More than 71 lakh infections. More than 4 lakh deaths. This is what the virus from Wuhan has done to the world. Here are the latest numbers. The US still leads in coronavirus cases with more than 19 lakh 61,000 and counting.

More than 71 lakh infections. More than 4 lakh deaths. This is what the virus from Wuhan has done to the world. Here are the latest numbers. The US still leads in coronavirus cases with more than 19 lakh 61,000 and counting. The death toll is more than 1,01,100. Following America is Brazil with more than 7 lakh 7000 cases and over 37,000 deaths. Russia is at number three with more than 4 lakh 84,000 cases followed by the UK with over 2 lakh 88,000 cases and 40,000 deaths. India remains on the fifth spot. More than 2 lakh 68,000 cases. Out of this, 1 lakh 29,000 are active cases. 1 lakh 29,000 people have recovered There have been more than 7,400 deaths. Meanwhile, a study claims virus first appeared in August 2019 contrary to earlier report of December 2019. This is a study by the Harvard Medical School. It is based on the hypothesis that the coronavirus was circulating in the community prior to being identified. Researchers say this hypothesis is backed by the fact that at least 14 of the first identified cases had no direct link to wet markets. In addition, the virological samples of wildlife at these markets could not be linked to the coronavirus. Now to further prove their claims, the researchers used two methods. First, they looked at high-resolution satellite images taken between 2018 and 2020. These were images of 6 speciality hospital parking lots in Wuhan. The researchers say these images show an increase in traffic outside five of these hospitals between august and December. They also obtained daily data for symptom-related online searches. They focused on search volumes of two terms --cough and diarrhoea. The traffic spike in august apparently coincided with a rise in online searches for information regarding these symptoms. Meaning, an inordinately high number of people were searching for these terms. Which leads to the conclusion that they, or someone they knew, was suffering from these things. China has dismissed this report. It called it ridiculous. The rest of the world is reporting it.

Harvard Medical School research says spread of virus started in August

China dismissed Harvard Medical School research which stated that novel coronavirus might have been spreading in China as early as August. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked about the research at a daily press briefing on Tuesday, dismissed the findings.

China dismissed Harvard Medical School research which stated that novel coronavirus might have been spreading in China as early as August. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked about the research at a daily press briefing on Tuesday, dismissed the findings. Also read: Researchers posit coronavirus transmission in Wuhan began in autumn of 2019 by using satellite images "I think it is ridiculous, incredibly ridiculous, to come up with this conclusion based on superficial observations such as traffic volume," she said. The research used satellite imagery of hospital parking lots in Wuhan - where the disease was first identified in late 2019 - and data for symptom-related queries on search engines for things such as "cough" and "diarrhoea". "Increased hospital traffic and symptom search data in Wuhan preceded the documented start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in December 2019," according to the research. In Pics: What we know about new coronavirus outbreak in Chinese city of Wuhan The analysts used images from October 2018 and counted 171 cars in Tianyou Hospital, one of the largest in Wuhan. However, a year later, there were 285 vehicles parked in the same area, marking an increase of 67%. They also found that there was a 90% influx in traffic at other hospitals in the city. Additionally, China’s search engine Baidu witnessed a lot of search logs regarding infectious diseases. Coronavirus has infected over 7 million people globally, as per data from the Johns Hopkins University. Currently, 7,113,366 people have had the virus, while 406,413 people have lost their lives to the pandemic, which went global six months ago.

China calls Harvard Medical School research on spread of virus in August 'incredibly ridiculous'

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Ex-mortuary worker in US pleads guilty to selling 24 boxes of stolen body parts

Morgue manager at Harvard Medical school charged with selling stolen body parts

Harvard Medical School research says spread of virus started in August

China calls Harvard Medical School research on spread of virus in August 'incredibly ridiculous'