LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Shocking revelations have emerged as a Bullitt County man, James Nott, was arrested on Tuesday, July 11, after FBI agents discovered dozens of human remains, including skulls, in his Mt Washington home. The arrest came following an investigation that began last year, and Nott's alleged involvement in the multistate and international trade of stolen body parts.
Who is James Nott?
James Nott, 39, had been purchasing human remains online under the alias "William Burke," a name that holds historical significance as it was used by a notorious serial killer active in Edinburgh, Scotland in the 1820s. Nott's public Facebook page contained recent posts offering human remains for sale, further adding to the disturbing nature of the case. The criminal complaint filed against Nott shed light on the illicit trade in which he was implicated, involving stolen body parts from the morgue at Harvard Medical School and a mortuary in Little Rock, Arkansas. The complaint alleged that Nott received these body parts from abroad and sold them within the United States, WDRB reported.
The investigation into this macabre trade began when a Pennsylvania man named Jeremy Pauley was discovered selling human remains, including organs and skin, from his own home. Pauley had been purchasing the body parts, which included hearts, brains, lungs, and fetal specimens, through Facebook Messenger from Candace Chapman, a mortician in Arkansas. Sarah Pauley, Jeremy's wife, provided authorities with screenshots of her husband's communication with a woman who worked at a mortuary in Little Rock. This woman was allegedly stealing remains that were meant to be cremated and selling them to Pauley via Facebook, with PayPal as the payment method. Pauley, in turn, was involved in selling and transporting these ill-gotten body parts, with James Nott being one of the individuals connected to the network.
A grisly trade in stolen body parts
As the investigation unfolded, it was revealed that Cedric Lodge, the morgue manager for Harvard Medical School's Anatomical Gift Program, was also implicated in the illegal trade. Lodge was accused of allowing unauthorized individuals access to the morgue, enabling them to personally select and purchase body parts without the knowledge or consent of the families and the school. The complaint further alleged that Lodge himself was involved in stealing parts from cadavers and selling them online.
Within this network of illegal activity, Nott communicated with Pauley via Facebook, using a pseudonym. The affidavit stated that Nott sent Pauley photos and videos of the human remains, and they discussed the sale and shipment of these items. Disturbingly, Pauley inquired about the price for a specific set of body parts. "How much for the couple you sent, plus the spines,” he asked, to which Nott provided a quote. Pauley responded, "Works for me," indicating his willingness to proceed with the purchase. Pauley, Lodge, and four others were reportedly charged in federal court in Pennsylvania with interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy, the Courier-Journal reported.
'Only my dead friends'
The FBI executed a search warrant on Tuesday at Nott's residence on Love Avenue, Mt Washington, where they made horrifying discoveries. During the search, an FBI agent asked Nott if anyone else was present in the apartment, to which he chillingly responded, "Only my dead friends." Around 40 human skulls, spinal cords, femurs, and hip bones were found throughout the apartment. The skulls were decorated and placed around the furniture, with one even adorned with a headscarf. Additionally, law enforcement discovered an AK-47 with loaded magazines, dummy grenades, body armor plates, and a loaded .38 special revolver. A bag from Harvard Medical School was also found in Nott's home.
Nott was subsequently arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as a prohibited person. His neighbors, who described him as a loner, expressed shock and concern regarding the revelations. They considered themselves fortunate that nothing more sinister had occurred given the number of firearms in Nott's possession. "He just lived over here so I'm shocked and nervous now that something like that could be going on," neighbor Caroline Branum told WHAS 11. "[It's] scary because we got young kids around here and he could just go off the deep end, who knows," Branum said.
Previous criminal record and court appearance
Nott had a previous criminal record, having been sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for felony violations that included possession of an unregistered destructive device and possession of a firearm as an unlawful user of marijuana. Nott appeared in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on Wednesday, waiving a detention hearing. The perp was assigned counsel from the federal public defender’s office and his arraignment was set for August 4. He is currently held without bail in the Oldham County Jail, pending further court proceedings. Nott could face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years if convicted.