Crime
"They're my dead friends": 40 human skulls and organs found in Kentucky home
James Nott was linked to a network of people allegedly engaged in illegally buying and selling human body parts
July 18, 2023 8:11am
Updated: July 18, 2023 8:11am
The FBI found human skulls and other human remains in a Kentucky man's home last week.When officers arrived at James Nott's home, they asked him if anyone was inside, to which he replied: "Just my dead friends."
Nott was linked to a ring of individuals allegedly engaged in illegally buying and selling human body parts, which also involved a Harvard Medical School morgue manager.
FBI agents went to Nott's home with a search warrant and found the skulls scattered throughout the house. One of the skulls even had a handkerchief wrapped around it and another was found on the mattress where Nott slept.
Spinal cords, femurs, hip bones, and a Harvard Medical School bag were also found inside his residence, according to the affidavit filed by the FBI.
The operation began when police in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, received a tip about possible human remains located in the home of a man named Jeremy Pauley.
During the investigation, Pauley told agents about a ring of people buying and selling stolen human body parts. They discovered that one of those involved was Cedric Lodge, the morgue manager at Harvard Medical School who was fired in May and faces charges of stealing, selling, and shipping the body parts.
Investigators connected Nott to Pauley and the network of people allegedly involved in the illegal human remains business, according to the criminal complaint.
Pauley was charged last month with interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy, while Nott is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 4.
So far, Nott has not been charged with any offense related to the human remains, but he faces a charge of possession of a firearm despite his status as a convicted felon.
In 2011, the suspect had pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device after officers found a detonating cord, ignition devices, timed fuses, and other materials that could be used to assemble a "destructive device."
