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[shaky breathing]
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♪ I ♪
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♪ Love ♪
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♪ You ♪
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♪ Open up your heart ♪♪
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[Mariana Van Zeller] I've
reported on the illegal trade
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of human organs in the past.
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So I thought I'd seen it all
in terms of those making a
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killing from body parts.
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But recent headlines have
identified another unexpected
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trade in human remains.
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[News Anchor]
Illegally selling body parts.
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[News Anchor] Arms,
legs, heads, torsos.
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[Man] Man that is sick.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] One
that's even stranger and
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closer to home.
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[News Anchor] Four
human skulls in a box.
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[News Anchor] Headed
for South Carolina.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] In the
shadows of the legal death
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industry, there's a bustling
trade in stolen body parts.
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[Funeral Director]
Human tongue $1,000.
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I'm surprised it's that high,
cause you could take one of
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those pretty easily.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Black
market operators are selling
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everything from skulls and
bones to spines and skin.
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[John] This is the remaining
portion I have of human skin.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] All
to the highest bidder.
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[Funeral Director] I could
bring my lunch box into the
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prep room and cut out a kidney
and no one would ever know.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] It all
begs a terrifying question,
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what really happens to
your body after you die?
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♪ Your heart ♪♪
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[John] Life doesn't end
when you're in the ground.
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I could carry around a portion
of somebody for the next
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200, 300 years.
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♪ Love you ♪♪
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[theme music plays]
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[jet engine rumbling]
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[Mariana Van Zeller] I'm
driving through the valleys of
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Western Colorado and thinking
about the logistics of death.
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On paper, what happens to a body
after death looks fairly simple:
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Typically, the first
stop is a funeral home,
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where the body is sent to be
prepped for cremation or burial.
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If, instead, the person has
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chosen to donate
their body to science,
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it goes from the
funeral home to a tissue bank
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or university donation program
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before being used for training,
education or research.
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But as the people of Montrose,
Colorado know all too well,
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things don't
always go as planned.
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[Rick] I get a call from the
FBI, they want me to come in
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and I'm thinking, "Well
what the heck did I do now?"
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So I went down to the
sheriff's department and I
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went in there, and he says,
"You might be a victim of,"
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you know, "cutting up the
body parts," and I'm thinking,
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"What?"
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I've never even
heard of that before.
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Who does that?
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[News Anchor] Tonight a
funeral home owner and her
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parents now under
investigation by the FBI.
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[News Anchor] The accusations
are outlandish.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] As local
news reported, Megan Hess and
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her mother Shirley Koch,
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owners of the
Sunset Mesa Funeral Home,
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were charged with the stealing
and selling of body parts
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from more than 500 corpses.
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[News Anchor] Her organs, from
her mother's heart, to liver,
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and even her hands
and feet were sold
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to so-called body brokers.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] I want
to understand how this grisly
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black market works, so I've
come to meet with the families
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of her victims.
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[Candace] My father called
me and asked if I had been
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watching the news about
Sunset Mesa and I hadn't.
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[News Anchor] Claims of
secretly dismembering and
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selling body parts.
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[Connie] She came with an SUV,
a body bag and a gurney,
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and I never called her.
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[News Anchor] Federal agents
followed and arrested
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Meghan Hess and Shirley Koch.
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[Debra] She was creepy.
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She was very creepy and there
were very many red flags.
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[Judy] Everybody trusts a
funeral home and you can't.
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[Mariana Van Zeller]
Throughout the investigation,
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the victims' families became
an informal support group
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for each other.
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[Candace] Different parts of
her were sold and then they
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listed the parts, and that
was really difficult to hear.
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[Diana] Hannah was 23 when she
passed away and they sent her
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to Sunset Mesa for cremation.
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[sighing]
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With that in mind, they
decided that they would
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steal her spine.
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She had a beautiful
tattoo of Harmony
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and her brother and
sister on her back.
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You know, how do you
get a spine out of a
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23 year old girl's back?
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[Kimberly] That's the
nightmares that you live with.
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[Rick] Yeah, just picturing
everybody here, somebody just
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hacking your loved one up.
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[Debra] Laura was sold
before I got there to
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make the arrangements.
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[Mariana Van Zeller]
Within 24 hours?
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[Debra] Less, she was gone.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] To be
clear, with consent,
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the selling of corpses and body
parts in the United States,
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by tissue banks or universities
after they've used them for
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their initial purpose,
is completely legal.
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What's illegal is charging
up to $1000 for cremations
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that never took place.
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Secretly dismembering the
bodies and selling the most
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valuable parts to customers.
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Buyers were charged $300 for
a spine, $500 for a head,
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more than $1,200 for a pelvis
with upper legs and they had
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no responsibility to check
that the bodies had been
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donated willingly.
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All told, Hess
netted $1.2 million.
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To cover her tracks, she
returned fake ashes to the
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families, a scheme that was
exposed by former employees
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of the funeral home.
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[News Anchor] Instead of
cremains their cherished boxes
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contained cement, sand and
what appeared to be,
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old batteries.
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[Debra] So nobody got
their loved ones back.
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Nobody.
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They just mixed them
all together with trash.
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[Paul Johnson] Megan Hess ran
a funeral home and she ran a
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body donation business
out of the same building.
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That's the problem
with this industry;
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it can be done legally,
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it can be done lawfully,
it can be done ethically.
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But right now that depends
on the personal ethics of
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the people running
these businesses.
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Oversight from the
government is truly lacking.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Paul
Micah Johnson was the lead
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agent on the FBI investigation
that busted Hess and her mother.
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[Paul Johnson] At the risk
of getting a little bit
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philosophical, I think
that most of us are
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uncomfortable with death.
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So that industry that requires
dead bodies is something that
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most people don't think about
and don't want to think about.
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And because of that, there's
lots of room for things to
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go on unnoticed.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] The U.S.
stands out for allowing a
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for-profit trade
in human remains
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with very little regulation.
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That combo has made the U.S.
the wild west of body parts.
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As agent Johnson saw
first-hand in a case that
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became a sensation
in the Detroit area.
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[News Anchor] Arthur Rathburn
accused of buying, storing,
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selling and renting diseased
human body parts to doctors.
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Body parts from more than
1,000 different people,
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heads, arms, legs.
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[Paul Johnson] He had dozens
of freezers filled with
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human remains, often unwrapped,
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piled directly on
top of each other,
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frozen together.
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He had a regular refrigerator
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and in that there
was a human head,
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as well as
some of his food,
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a sandwich was in there
near a human head.
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A metal container that
had four human fetuses,
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mixed in with floating
slices of human brain.
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His warehouse was the...
something of nightmares.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Rathburn
was an extreme case, but
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Johnson says he's seen abuse
all over, at funeral homes,
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in the university
donation programs and at
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both for-profit and
nonprofit tissue banks.
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[Paul Johnson] Just like any
other illegal activity the
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primary incentive is money.
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So, it comes down to greed.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] It's a
chilling assessment, and as
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my investigation takes me to
Arizona, it's time to find the
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folks who see the
dead as dollar signs.
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[wind blowing]
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[Garland Shreves] Most people,
when they think of whole body
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donation, they don't really
realize the impact that it has
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on medicine, and
society as a whole.
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Whole body donation saves more
lives in this country,
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every single year, than
transplant donation,
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than all the lives saved put
together by transplant
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since transplant began.
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Because you couldn't have
the medicine we do today,
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the advancements in
medicine we do today,
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if it were not for donors.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] To
understand the criminal
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possibilities of this trade,
I need to see how the
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legitimate side of
the industry works.
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Research for Life
is a tissue bank
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that depends on body donations.
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It's run by Garland Shreves,
who works alongside his wife
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and some of his children.
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[Garland Shreves]
Research for Life is a
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whole body donor organization.
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Donors benefit either
medical education or research.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Shreves
is opening his doors to us
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because he believes in
transparency of a process
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that some might find disturbing.
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What does your family
say about your job?
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[Hayley] They never
want to talk about it.
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You know, the first, the first
six months they didn't hear,
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they didn't want to
hear a singular thing.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Really?
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If you're dealing with an
ethically-run company, this is
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what body donation looks
like behind the scenes.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] When a
body arrives it's kept in
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cold storage before the
"procurement process" where
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the body is cut up into
smaller pieces for sale
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around the world.
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[Hayley] And then this is to tag
so we can identify the donor.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Mm-hmm.
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00:11:00,076 --> 00:11:02,162
[Hayley] Once we
ship out the tissue.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] This leg,
for example, might be sent to
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a medical device company or an
orthopedic surgeon needing
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a practice specimen.
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[Garland Shreves] You may ask
me any question that you like,
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but you're not going to
see any blood, or gore,
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or anything of that nature.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Garland
Shreves opens his doors
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00:11:25,727 --> 00:11:28,730
several times a year to people
who are considering donating
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00:11:28,730 --> 00:11:31,232
their bodies to
medical research.
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[Cheryl] What's under
the, the blue tarps here?
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[Garland Shreves] This tag
tells me it's a torso,
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it's a human torso.
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[Mariana Van Zeller] Tissue
banks like Research for Life
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00:11:39,782 --> 00:11:43,620
provide the cadavers needed
for vital hands-on training.
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Everything from hip-replacement
practice for surgeons,
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00:11:46,915 --> 00:11:50,251
to teaching first-responders
how to intubate patients
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relies on body donation.
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[Medic] Remember you don't
want to suction for more than
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10 seconds because you're taking
the air out of their body.
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[Garland Shreves] When we are
notified that a donor is in
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00:12:00,511 --> 00:12:02,639
route, they're going to come
up a ramp, and they're going
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to go directly into this
refrigerator, that will reduce
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the rate of decomposition.
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So you can come over and you
guys can take a look inside.
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[Cheryl] Are we going in?
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[Garland Shreves] You can go
in if that's what you like.
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00:12:13,942 --> 00:12:15,652
[Cheryl] Oh yeah, okay.
240
00:12:15,652 --> 00:12:16,611
[Garland Shreves] You
can see them right there.
241
00:12:16,611 --> 00:12:18,029
[Cheryl] I saw enough!
242
00:12:18,029 --> 00:12:19,364
[laughing]
243
00:12:19,614 --> 00:12:21,491
[Mariana Van Zeller] Shreves'
business depends on finding
244
00:12:21,491 --> 00:12:25,161
people willing to donate their
bodies for free, so he's eager
245
00:12:25,161 --> 00:12:28,581
to show these potential donors
the care they take in each
246
00:12:28,581 --> 00:12:30,917
step of the process.
247
00:12:30,917 --> 00:12:32,961
[Cheryl] Are these, like,
all the same body parts?
248
00:12:32,961 --> 00:12:34,879
[Garland Shreves]
They're different body parts.
249
00:12:34,879 --> 00:12:37,590
This is a
mid-forearm to fingertip.
250
00:12:37,590 --> 00:12:39,008
It's got a donor number on it.
251
00:12:39,008 --> 00:12:40,009
You see that?
252
00:12:40,301 --> 00:12:41,552
Everything is tagged,
everything is marked,
253
00:12:41,552 --> 00:12:42,929
where it came from.
254
00:12:42,929 --> 00:12:44,264
How it can be used.
255
00:12:44,264 --> 00:12:45,682
A reminder that it
has to be treated with
256
00:12:45,682 --> 00:12:48,309
dignity and respect.
257
00:12:50,144 --> 00:12:52,146
[Paul Johnson] There is a
lot more that is legal
258
00:12:52,146 --> 00:12:54,774
than is illegal
in this industry.
259
00:12:54,774 --> 00:12:59,070
It doesn't matter if people
are trading bones, or tissues,
260
00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:01,114
or pieces of brain.
261
00:13:01,114 --> 00:13:04,659
The buying and selling of body
parts is completely legal at
262
00:13:04,659 --> 00:13:06,035
the federal level.
263
00:13:06,035 --> 00:13:08,121
Completely.
264
00:13:09,956 --> 00:13:11,457
[Mariana Van Zeller] That's
what's so different about the
265
00:13:11,457 --> 00:13:14,043
body parts trade than
other trafficking stories
266
00:13:14,043 --> 00:13:15,670
I've covered.
267
00:13:15,670 --> 00:13:18,798
The bad actors are often part
of the legal industry because,
268
00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:22,510
just like body-donation
businesses, the criminal trade
269
00:13:22,510 --> 00:13:26,472
depends on
access to body parts.
270
00:13:26,472 --> 00:13:28,766
That's why Megan Hess's
funeral home was
271
00:13:28,766 --> 00:13:31,310
the perfect cover.
272
00:13:31,310 --> 00:13:34,022
As I try to find an active
player, I cross reference
273
00:13:34,022 --> 00:13:37,734
complaints and citations
against other funeral homes
274
00:13:37,734 --> 00:13:39,485
and tissue banks.
275
00:13:39,485 --> 00:13:42,780
I search Yelp reviews looking
for suspicious anecdotes.
276
00:13:42,780 --> 00:13:46,159
And I reach out to dozens
of people in the industry.
277
00:13:46,159 --> 00:13:48,077
You worked in the
tissue bank industry
278
00:13:48,077 --> 00:13:49,537
for many years, correct?
279
00:13:49,537 --> 00:13:51,205
[Funeral Worker]
About 30 years.
280
00:13:51,664 --> 00:13:53,458
[Funeral Director] No one
would bat any eye even if I
281
00:13:53,458 --> 00:13:56,878
was working on a body and it had
a huge chunk of skin missing.
282
00:13:56,878 --> 00:14:01,007
Human skin sells pretty
frequently and it's expensive.
283
00:14:01,340 --> 00:14:02,842
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Which body parts were they?
284
00:14:02,842 --> 00:14:05,511
[Funeral Worker]
Arms, feet, legs.
285
00:14:05,511 --> 00:14:06,679
[phone line ringing]
286
00:14:07,221 --> 00:14:08,848
[Colton Clouse] I know that a
lot of samples that we have
287
00:14:08,848 --> 00:14:12,769
come across have been old
retired medical specimens.
288
00:14:12,769 --> 00:14:15,188
So, various colleges use them.
289
00:14:15,188 --> 00:14:18,900
They usually get them from
mortuaries, or tissue banks,
290
00:14:18,900 --> 00:14:20,818
or stuff like that.
291
00:14:20,818 --> 00:14:22,403
[Mariana Van Zeller] I know
this is always, you know,
292
00:14:22,403 --> 00:14:25,823
kind of a complicated, question,
293
00:14:25,823 --> 00:14:28,326
but if you think you could
share any contacts.
294
00:14:28,326 --> 00:14:29,994
We know there's a lot of
people out there that know
295
00:14:29,994 --> 00:14:33,247
a lot of stuff and don't
want to talk about it.
296
00:14:33,831 --> 00:14:35,958
[Funeral Director] Um...
297
00:14:36,709 --> 00:14:39,837
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Eventually, I catch a break.
298
00:14:46,094 --> 00:14:52,850
[♪ spooky ambient music]
299
00:14:55,144 --> 00:14:57,522
It's been a really
hard one to crack,
300
00:14:57,522 --> 00:14:59,065
just no one wants to talk.
301
00:14:59,065 --> 00:15:02,360
It's a very sort of secretive
and closed community.
302
00:15:03,528 --> 00:15:05,738
Most people that we spoke to
said that they are afraid that
303
00:15:05,738 --> 00:15:08,616
even if we put a mask on them
and disguise their voice that
304
00:15:08,616 --> 00:15:11,786
they think that everyone
will know who they are.
305
00:15:12,328 --> 00:15:13,996
So, we're meeting this guy
306
00:15:13,996 --> 00:15:15,289
that I've spoken
to on the phone,
307
00:15:15,289 --> 00:15:16,833
he's a funeral director.
308
00:15:16,833 --> 00:15:19,001
He agreed mainly because
we're meeting in sort of an
309
00:15:19,001 --> 00:15:21,754
undisclosed location.
310
00:15:22,797 --> 00:15:25,758
He says he also has some stuff
that he wants to show us.
311
00:15:26,217 --> 00:15:29,220
I'm quite curious to
know what that is.
312
00:15:30,471 --> 00:15:33,224
This is it, this is the motel.
313
00:15:36,853 --> 00:15:40,273
[turn signal clicking]
314
00:15:49,699 --> 00:15:53,202
[♪ ambient music]
315
00:16:01,794 --> 00:16:03,963
[Mariana Van Zeller] Um, did
you hear about the Megan Hess
316
00:16:03,963 --> 00:16:05,173
case in Colorado?
317
00:16:05,173 --> 00:16:06,340
[Funeral Director]
I did. I did.
318
00:16:06,716 --> 00:16:07,425
[Mariana Van Zeller] Do you
think that's happening right now
319
00:16:07,717 --> 00:16:08,968
in other
places across America?
320
00:16:08,968 --> 00:16:10,219
[Funeral Director] Yes. Yes.
321
00:16:10,219 --> 00:16:11,262
[Mariana Van Zeller] For sure?
322
00:16:11,262 --> 00:16:12,680
[Funeral Director] Yes.
323
00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:13,681
[Mariana Van Zeller] Okay.
324
00:16:14,098 --> 00:16:15,766
[Funeral Director] It's
happening. It's happening.
325
00:16:15,766 --> 00:16:18,060
It's too easy to not happen.
326
00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:19,854
[exhales]
327
00:16:19,854 --> 00:16:21,647
[Mariana Van Zeller] When and,
I guess, why did you become a
328
00:16:21,647 --> 00:16:23,399
funeral director?
329
00:16:23,399 --> 00:16:26,194
[Funeral Director] Because I
knew that I could and I know
330
00:16:26,194 --> 00:16:28,779
that a lot of people can't,
or aren't willing to.
331
00:16:28,779 --> 00:16:31,365
'Cause it's disgusting
and it's very hard work.
332
00:16:31,365 --> 00:16:33,075
I was responsible for
everything, so basically
333
00:16:33,075 --> 00:16:34,827
any aspect that
you can think of.
334
00:16:34,827 --> 00:16:36,078
[Mariana Van Zeller] So you're
talking in the past tense,
335
00:16:36,078 --> 00:16:37,747
are you not a funeral
director anymore?
336
00:16:37,747 --> 00:16:39,749
[Funeral Director] I still
have my license, but I have
337
00:16:39,749 --> 00:16:41,500
left that business,
338
00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:43,961
just because I think
it's too ugly for me.
339
00:16:43,961 --> 00:16:48,132
We're overworked, we are
horribly underpaid and
340
00:16:48,132 --> 00:16:52,929
eventually just spending most
of your time with dead people
341
00:16:52,929 --> 00:16:56,349
instead of living ones,
it's not a fun job.
342
00:16:56,807 --> 00:16:58,517
[Mariana Van Zeller] This is
a really difficult story and
343
00:16:58,517 --> 00:17:00,603
it's been really hard to
get people to talk to us.
344
00:17:00,603 --> 00:17:01,479
[Funeral Director] Yes.
345
00:17:02,230 --> 00:17:02,939
[Mariana Van Zeller] So, I'd
love to hear from you some of
346
00:17:03,856 --> 00:17:05,733
the darkest things that you've
seen in this industry and the
347
00:17:05,733 --> 00:17:07,902
things that you
think shouldn't exist.
348
00:17:07,902 --> 00:17:10,071
[Funeral Director] First and
foremost, it is far too easy
349
00:17:10,071 --> 00:17:15,952
to get away with theft um,
of either personal effects,
350
00:17:15,952 --> 00:17:19,080
or body parts in the
funeral business.
351
00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,958
There are plenty of
opportunities, if someone
352
00:17:21,958 --> 00:17:25,253
were so inclined to go in there
with a scalpel, or not even
353
00:17:25,253 --> 00:17:28,589
necessarily in the case of an
autopsy, all of the organs are
354
00:17:28,589 --> 00:17:31,801
conveniently
presented to us in a bag.
355
00:17:31,801 --> 00:17:33,302
[Mariana Van Zeller] What
would a person do with a bag
356
00:17:33,302 --> 00:17:36,097
full of someone's insides.
357
00:17:36,097 --> 00:17:37,640
[Funeral Director] If they
were so inclined, they could
358
00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,519
make wet specimens, put
them in a jar, fix them with
359
00:17:41,519 --> 00:17:46,065
formaldehyde or alcohol
and um, sell them.
360
00:17:46,065 --> 00:17:47,066
[Mariana Van Zeller]
So there's a market?
361
00:17:47,316 --> 00:17:48,818
[Funeral Director] There
is a market, yes, yes.
362
00:17:48,818 --> 00:17:50,069
[Mariana Van Zeller] You
could do that and it would be
363
00:17:50,069 --> 00:17:51,862
totally legal for
you to do that?
364
00:17:51,862 --> 00:17:54,240
[Funeral Director] It would not
be legal to take the organ,
365
00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,785
but it is legal to buy,
sell and trade organs in
366
00:17:57,785 --> 00:18:00,121
47 of the 50 states.
367
00:18:00,121 --> 00:18:01,289
[Mariana Van Zeller] And
it sells for good money?
368
00:18:01,289 --> 00:18:02,790
Like there's an
incentive for this?
369
00:18:02,790 --> 00:18:05,209
[Funeral Director] Oh yeah,
it can be very profitable.
370
00:18:05,209 --> 00:18:09,880
For example, this is my pen.
371
00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:11,007
[Mariana Van Zeller] Okay.
372
00:18:11,340 --> 00:18:12,508
[Funeral Director] And inside
that pen is a slice of
373
00:18:12,508 --> 00:18:14,427
human brain.
374
00:18:14,427 --> 00:18:17,305
And I've seen the brain
that this slice came from.
375
00:18:17,305 --> 00:18:19,056
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Oh my God.
376
00:18:19,056 --> 00:18:20,975
[Funeral Director] This was
legal for me to buy,
377
00:18:20,975 --> 00:18:22,977
perfectly legal.
378
00:18:22,977 --> 00:18:24,312
-Can I see it?
-Absolutely.
379
00:18:24,562 --> 00:18:25,730
[Mariana Van Zeller] So, this
is a little piece of brain?
380
00:18:25,730 --> 00:18:27,315
[Funeral Director] Yes, it is.
381
00:18:27,315 --> 00:18:28,274
[Mariana Van Zeller]
A human brain?
382
00:18:28,274 --> 00:18:29,650
[Funeral Director] Yes. Yes.
383
00:18:29,650 --> 00:18:31,610
-Wow.
-Yeah.
384
00:18:31,610 --> 00:18:33,112
[Mariana Van Zeller] And
where do you buy it from?
385
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:35,865
[Funeral Director]
Facebook or Instagram.
386
00:18:35,865 --> 00:18:39,368
This was a woman who got
access to some brains from
387
00:18:39,368 --> 00:18:40,745
a medical collection.
388
00:18:40,745 --> 00:18:41,787
[Mariana Van Zeller] Mm-hmm.
389
00:18:42,330 --> 00:18:43,164
[Funeral Director] And I took
the time to slice 'em up and
390
00:18:43,164 --> 00:18:44,665
make these pens.
391
00:18:44,665 --> 00:18:46,250
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Why did you buy it?
392
00:18:46,250 --> 00:18:49,128
[Funeral Director] Uh, I am
involved in this trade because
393
00:18:49,128 --> 00:18:52,882
I'm also a collector of
oddities and most people
394
00:18:52,882 --> 00:18:55,718
don't have a piece of human
brain sitting on their desk.
395
00:18:55,718 --> 00:18:56,802
[Mariana Van Zeller] Mm-hmm.
396
00:18:57,178 --> 00:18:58,095
[Funeral Director] And I
just think it's interesting.
397
00:18:58,638 --> 00:19:01,557
[Mariana Van Zeller] And in
the case where they are
398
00:19:01,557 --> 00:19:03,309
body parts that are taken,
399
00:19:03,309 --> 00:19:05,686
where do you think
those are ending up?
400
00:19:05,686 --> 00:19:08,064
[Funeral Director] Private
groups for buying, selling
401
00:19:08,064 --> 00:19:10,316
and trading oddities.
402
00:19:10,316 --> 00:19:12,902
Skin for example, you can get
away with selling, like,
403
00:19:12,902 --> 00:19:14,070
on Facebook.
404
00:19:14,070 --> 00:19:15,404
[Mariana Van Zeller] Openly?
405
00:19:15,654 --> 00:19:17,740
Like if I go on Facebook right
now I'm going to see people
406
00:19:17,740 --> 00:19:18,866
selling this stuff?
407
00:19:18,866 --> 00:19:19,992
[Funeral Director] No.
408
00:19:20,493 --> 00:19:21,952
You would need to be part of a
private group, or they're not
409
00:19:21,952 --> 00:19:24,121
going to let you in.
410
00:19:24,580 --> 00:19:26,082
[Mariana Van Zeller] The
oddities market can mean
411
00:19:26,082 --> 00:19:30,419
anything from animal taxidermy,
to antique medical tools,
412
00:19:30,419 --> 00:19:32,797
to human remains.
413
00:19:33,547 --> 00:19:37,051
And it represents another
ecosystem of buyers for those
414
00:19:37,051 --> 00:19:40,763
with legal, or
illegal body parts to sell.
415
00:19:41,555 --> 00:19:44,934
He agrees to show me the
private marketplaces, so I can
416
00:19:44,934 --> 00:19:49,563
see just how easy it is to
pick up body parts in the U.S.
417
00:19:49,897 --> 00:19:51,607
[Funeral Director]
There we go.
418
00:19:51,607 --> 00:19:52,942
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Oh, my god.
419
00:19:52,942 --> 00:19:54,652
Do you think
this is human skin?
420
00:19:54,652 --> 00:19:55,986
[Funeral Director]
I mean, yeah.
421
00:19:56,237 --> 00:20:00,241
A human skin wallet for $2500
that is on par with what the
422
00:20:00,241 --> 00:20:02,368
price should be.
423
00:20:02,368 --> 00:20:04,161
[Mariana Van Zeller] So, in
this case, this person is
424
00:20:04,161 --> 00:20:08,207
selling a skeleton,
and it's, U.S. only,
425
00:20:08,207 --> 00:20:11,627
and he's
selling it for $4,650?
426
00:20:11,627 --> 00:20:13,754
[Funeral Director] Yeah.
Yeah, very lucrative.
427
00:20:13,754 --> 00:20:16,507
[Mariana Van Zeller] Late 19th
century scientific
428
00:20:16,507 --> 00:20:18,509
skelly medical model.
429
00:20:18,509 --> 00:20:20,886
Is that what they say a
lot, that this is old?
430
00:20:20,886 --> 00:20:22,847
[Funeral Director] Yeah,
they'll often claim that
431
00:20:22,847 --> 00:20:26,434
things are usually around
100 years old, so that they're
432
00:20:26,434 --> 00:20:30,187
minimizing any risk in case
they are selling something
433
00:20:30,187 --> 00:20:32,523
that is fresh and therefore
much more likely to be
434
00:20:32,523 --> 00:20:34,608
illegally taken.
435
00:20:34,608 --> 00:20:36,026
[Mariana Van Zeller] Uterus.
436
00:20:36,026 --> 00:20:38,237
[Funeral Director] Yeah,
a dissected human uterus.
437
00:20:38,237 --> 00:20:39,363
Yeah.
438
00:20:39,363 --> 00:20:40,781
[Mariana Van Zeller] $40.
439
00:20:40,781 --> 00:20:42,825
And a tongue goes for $1,100?
440
00:20:42,825 --> 00:20:44,827
[Funeral Director] $1,000,
I'm surprised it's that high,
441
00:20:44,827 --> 00:20:47,121
'cause you could take one
of those pretty easily.
442
00:20:47,121 --> 00:20:48,914
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Oh, my God.
443
00:20:48,914 --> 00:20:51,041
This is so (bleep) crazy.
444
00:20:51,625 --> 00:20:53,794
So, this is skin with tattoos,
445
00:20:53,794 --> 00:20:55,629
how does a person
procure one of these?
446
00:20:55,629 --> 00:20:57,214
How do you get it?
447
00:20:57,214 --> 00:20:59,467
[Funeral Director] So that, that
seems to be in good shape,
448
00:20:59,467 --> 00:21:01,343
it's obviously not very old.
449
00:21:01,343 --> 00:21:04,305
It's not all dried and worn out,
looks like there's still
450
00:21:04,305 --> 00:21:06,056
some hair on it.
451
00:21:06,056 --> 00:21:06,974
[Mariana Van Zeller] Yeah,
this person asks,
452
00:21:07,391 --> 00:21:08,809
"Is this real human skin?
How do you get this?
453
00:21:08,809 --> 00:21:10,269
I'm intrigued."
454
00:21:10,269 --> 00:21:11,270
And then there was no answer.
455
00:21:11,854 --> 00:21:12,730
[Funeral Director] Yeah, good
luck getting an answer to that.
456
00:21:13,481 --> 00:21:15,024
This is one of those examples
where I think that it would
457
00:21:15,024 --> 00:21:18,235
have come from
maybe an autopsy case.
458
00:21:18,235 --> 00:21:20,446
A piece of skin could just be
taken off a body when no one
459
00:21:20,446 --> 00:21:22,031
would know the difference.
460
00:21:22,031 --> 00:21:23,240
[Mariana Van Zeller] So
illegally in that case?
461
00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:24,325
[Funeral Director]
Yes, yeah, yeah.
462
00:21:24,867 --> 00:21:26,994
I can't imagine how this would
have been obtained otherwise.
463
00:21:26,994 --> 00:21:30,414
[Mariana Van Zeller]
That is so crazy.
464
00:21:30,414 --> 00:21:32,416
So, if we're looking for
some of the bad actors in this
465
00:21:32,416 --> 00:21:35,544
market place, do you think this
is a good place for us to start?
466
00:21:35,544 --> 00:21:38,005
[Funeral Director] So, I'm
going to see how many people
467
00:21:38,005 --> 00:21:40,382
in this group might
actually be, like,
468
00:21:40,382 --> 00:21:42,092
funeral professionals
or coroners,
469
00:21:42,092 --> 00:21:47,973
so we can search the members
for... let's do 'coroner'.
470
00:21:49,975 --> 00:21:52,311
[Mariana Van Zeller] Wow,
licensed funeral director,
471
00:21:52,311 --> 00:21:54,188
deputy coroner,
472
00:21:54,188 --> 00:21:57,858
so people who have access
to body parts and bodies.
473
00:21:57,858 --> 00:22:00,027
[Funeral Director] Yeah,
yeah, there are a number of
474
00:22:00,027 --> 00:22:01,862
professionals in here.
475
00:22:01,862 --> 00:22:03,822
[Mariana Van Zeller] You
weren't expecting that?
476
00:22:03,822 --> 00:22:05,741
[Funeral Director] Yeah,
I mean, it's just,
477
00:22:05,741 --> 00:22:07,493
it's kind of weird
to think about.
478
00:22:07,493 --> 00:22:08,744
These are also people who...
479
00:22:08,744 --> 00:22:10,496
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Have access.
480
00:22:10,496 --> 00:22:11,956
[Funeral Director] Who would
have access to getting skin or
481
00:22:11,956 --> 00:22:13,958
organs and then
being able to sell them.
482
00:22:13,958 --> 00:22:16,126
Yeah, and I'm sure some
of them are the people
483
00:22:16,126 --> 00:22:17,628
who do that.
484
00:22:17,628 --> 00:22:19,547
[Mariana Van Zeller]
That's so creepy.
485
00:22:20,422 --> 00:22:22,424
In terms of the oddities market,
486
00:22:22,424 --> 00:22:24,301
you know some of
the big players.
487
00:22:24,301 --> 00:22:25,135
[Funeral Director] I do.
488
00:22:25,511 --> 00:22:27,096
[Mariana Van Zeller]
That you believe are
489
00:22:27,096 --> 00:22:28,514
acquiring these illegally.
490
00:22:28,514 --> 00:22:29,640
[Funeral Director] Yes.
491
00:22:30,057 --> 00:22:31,016
[Mariana Van Zeller] Do you
think they would talk to us?
492
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,394
Do you think you could try
to get us in touch with them?
493
00:22:33,394 --> 00:22:35,312
[Funeral Director] I think
that it's pretty unlikely.
494
00:22:35,312 --> 00:22:38,649
These are people who are
breaking the law and I think
495
00:22:38,649 --> 00:22:43,571
would go to um, great
lengths to not get caught.
496
00:22:44,071 --> 00:22:48,033
But I do believe that a lot of
the human bones on the market
497
00:22:48,033 --> 00:22:51,912
right now are brought in
illegally from other countries.
498
00:22:51,912 --> 00:22:53,831
I know that some come in from
China and I know that some
499
00:22:53,831 --> 00:22:56,166
come in from Mexico.
500
00:22:56,709 --> 00:22:59,837
That's just grave robbing,
really, is what it is.
501
00:23:02,006 --> 00:23:03,632
[Mariana Van Zeller] So,
you think grave robbing is
502
00:23:03,632 --> 00:23:05,759
actually happening?
503
00:23:06,135 --> 00:23:07,803
[Funeral Director] I think
that a lot of the bones that
504
00:23:07,803 --> 00:23:10,931
are bought and sold in the
United States were pulled out
505
00:23:10,931 --> 00:23:13,100
of the ground in
another country.
506
00:23:13,100 --> 00:23:14,602
[Mariana Van Zeller] Oh.
507
00:23:26,572 --> 00:23:32,161
[♪ twangy music]
508
00:23:32,161 --> 00:23:36,165
[sirens]
509
00:23:36,165 --> 00:23:42,546
[singing in foreign language]
510
00:23:44,506 --> 00:23:45,633
[Mariana Van Zeller] Okay so, I
think we're actually getting
511
00:23:45,633 --> 00:23:47,301
pretty close.
512
00:23:47,301 --> 00:23:50,054
They've told us we can't go
in through the main gate,
513
00:23:50,054 --> 00:23:53,891
we have to go through a
side or a back entrance.
514
00:23:54,808 --> 00:23:57,019
Grave digging sounds like
something out of the
515
00:23:57,019 --> 00:24:01,857
19th century but apparently,
it's still very much a thing.
516
00:24:03,692 --> 00:24:06,278
Obviously, they say that the
reason this is happening at
517
00:24:06,278 --> 00:24:08,822
night is because nobody
knows that we're coming,
518
00:24:08,822 --> 00:24:11,742
nobody knows they're
doing what they're doing.
519
00:24:12,952 --> 00:24:17,665
I haven't actually met this guy,
so I'm not sure what to expect.
520
00:24:18,123 --> 00:24:20,834
I've learned that grave
digging is a major source of
521
00:24:20,834 --> 00:24:23,962
black market bones and skulls.
522
00:24:23,962 --> 00:24:26,632
And through my
connections in Mexico,
523
00:24:26,632 --> 00:24:29,176
I've come to see
how it works.
524
00:24:36,475 --> 00:24:43,107
[footsteps]
525
00:24:45,776 --> 00:24:47,820
I've been given some
specific instructions
526
00:24:47,820 --> 00:24:51,073
of how to find the spot,
527
00:24:53,826 --> 00:24:56,370
and it kind of feels
like the start of every
528
00:24:56,370 --> 00:24:58,956
bad horror movie.
529
00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:07,047
Nothing creepy about walking
around a cemetery at night.
530
00:25:09,425 --> 00:25:13,804
[distant dog barking]
531
00:25:13,804 --> 00:25:20,227
[digging]
532
00:25:25,607 --> 00:25:26,734
[in Spanish] Hello.
533
00:25:27,943 --> 00:25:29,445
Hello, hi.
534
00:25:31,822 --> 00:25:32,823
[speaking Spanish].
535
00:25:38,245 --> 00:25:39,663
[Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-hmm.
536
00:25:49,673 --> 00:25:51,133
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Mexico City is running out of
537
00:25:51,133 --> 00:25:52,801
cemetery space.
538
00:25:52,801 --> 00:25:56,013
30,000 people die each
year in the capital and
539
00:25:56,013 --> 00:25:57,848
burial plots are scarce.
540
00:26:06,857 --> 00:26:08,025
[Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-hmm.
541
00:26:08,317 --> 00:26:10,694
To make room, some cemeteries
enforce burial limits,
542
00:26:10,694 --> 00:26:13,947
exhuming bodies after a
certain number of years.
543
00:27:49,251 --> 00:27:50,252
[Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-huh.
544
00:27:50,711 --> 00:27:53,839
And just like that, I
learn of a new set of buyers.
545
00:27:55,549 --> 00:27:58,260
Santeria is a Caribbean
religion that fuses
546
00:27:58,260 --> 00:28:02,180
Yoruba beliefs from West Africa
with Roman Catholicism.
547
00:28:02,973 --> 00:28:06,351
It's now practiced in parts
of Mexico and the U.S., too.
548
00:28:07,185 --> 00:28:10,564
And can sometimes include
the use of human remains in
549
00:28:10,564 --> 00:28:14,568
secretive rituals performed
by priests called Santeros.
550
00:28:31,668 --> 00:28:38,425
[rustling, panting]
551
00:28:50,020 --> 00:28:54,942
[unzipping]
552
00:29:04,326 --> 00:29:05,911
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Wow, it's crazy.
553
00:29:05,911 --> 00:29:07,788
It's, um, so that's a skull,
554
00:29:07,788 --> 00:29:10,374
with actually, with a
lot of teeth in it.
555
00:29:10,374 --> 00:29:11,792
Whoo.
556
00:29:11,792 --> 00:29:14,252
The smell is very strong.
557
00:29:14,252 --> 00:29:17,339
Lot's of body parts
still with clothing. Um.
558
00:29:35,023 --> 00:29:36,608
[Mariana Van Zeller] You can
see how people can actually
559
00:29:36,608 --> 00:29:38,360
make some good money here.
560
00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,153
Sell this for $500 and,
in the U.S.,
561
00:29:40,153 --> 00:29:42,406
it goes for
thousands of dollars.
562
00:29:45,701 --> 00:29:48,370
And apparently it's
happening all over Mexico.
563
00:29:51,581 --> 00:29:54,710
[Mariana Van Zeller] Okay.
They said we should go.
564
00:29:54,710 --> 00:29:56,837
Okay.
565
00:30:00,507 --> 00:30:04,386
The odd shape of this black
market is coming into focus
566
00:30:04,386 --> 00:30:08,974
but I still want to find an
active buyer here in the U.S.
567
00:30:10,934 --> 00:30:13,395
That's what brings me to Miami,
568
00:30:13,395 --> 00:30:16,523
a city with an active
Santeria community.
569
00:30:16,815 --> 00:30:19,568
And where a contact has put
me in touch with a Santero
570
00:30:19,568 --> 00:30:22,154
willing to talk.
571
00:30:28,410 --> 00:30:31,163
So I think we're close.
572
00:30:31,580 --> 00:30:34,249
Sort of an
industrial area looks like.
573
00:30:40,297 --> 00:30:42,758
[music intensifying]
574
00:30:42,758 --> 00:30:44,217
I think that's it, actually.
575
00:30:44,217 --> 00:30:46,344
That's the white SUV.
576
00:30:47,804 --> 00:30:49,973
-Hi.
-Hey.
577
00:30:49,973 --> 00:30:51,767
[Mariana Van Zeller]
How are you doing?
578
00:30:51,767 --> 00:30:53,226
Can we see it?
579
00:30:53,226 --> 00:30:55,270
[Buyer] Yeah.
580
00:31:00,567 --> 00:31:02,527
[Mariana Van Zeller] Oh, wow.
581
00:31:05,697 --> 00:31:07,157
[Mariana Van Zeller] So you
are involved in Santeria?
582
00:31:07,157 --> 00:31:07,949
Is that.
583
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:08,992
[Buyer] That's
what we practice.
584
00:31:09,785 --> 00:31:11,411
[Mariana Van Zeller] And what
are you sort of a, a priest?
585
00:31:11,411 --> 00:31:13,455
[Buyer] Well, uh, yeah, if you
want to call it that, yeah.
586
00:31:13,455 --> 00:31:14,331
[Mariana Van Zeller] How
do you want to call it?
587
00:31:14,748 --> 00:31:16,875
[Buyer] It's, it's we,
we're called Babalawo.
588
00:31:16,875 --> 00:31:17,667
[Mariana Van Zeller] Babalawo?
589
00:31:18,085 --> 00:31:20,045
[Buyer] Yeah. That's
the highest rank that
590
00:31:20,045 --> 00:31:21,671
you could have
in the religion.
591
00:31:21,671 --> 00:31:23,423
[Mariana Van Zeller] So Miami
is sort of a hub for Santeria?
592
00:31:23,423 --> 00:31:24,633
[Buyer] Oh, yeah.
Big time, big time.
593
00:31:25,008 --> 00:31:28,011
[Mariana Van Zeller] And in
your ceremonies, bones and all
594
00:31:28,011 --> 00:31:31,515
sorts of different body parts,
are those used in ceremonies,
595
00:31:31,515 --> 00:31:33,308
or how are you involved?
596
00:31:33,308 --> 00:31:36,353
[Buyer] It's a religion that
most people don't know.
597
00:31:36,353 --> 00:31:38,647
Most people don't even, you
don't even think how far it
598
00:31:38,647 --> 00:31:41,399
could go with just
the power of a chant.
599
00:31:41,399 --> 00:31:45,612
I could either save someone's
life, or with a chant I could
600
00:31:45,612 --> 00:31:47,906
maybe kill somebody's life.
601
00:31:47,906 --> 00:31:49,950
[Mariana Van Zeller] Can you
tell me which bones, or
602
00:31:49,950 --> 00:31:52,244
body parts are we talking about?
603
00:31:52,244 --> 00:31:55,288
[Buyer] The most common
is, uh, uh, skulls.
604
00:31:55,288 --> 00:31:56,790
[Mariana Van Zeller] Skulls.
605
00:31:56,790 --> 00:31:59,209
[Buyer] But we
use all body parts.
606
00:31:59,209 --> 00:32:02,295
You could use it for your
protection, for anything,
607
00:32:02,295 --> 00:32:04,256
for avoiding bad things,
getting to you.
608
00:32:04,256 --> 00:32:06,591
Hey, maybe you have
a child with cancer.
609
00:32:06,591 --> 00:32:09,594
He's dying and the doctors
can't do anything for him.
610
00:32:09,594 --> 00:32:10,971
[Mariana Van Zeller] So is that,
you know, are those the
611
00:32:10,971 --> 00:32:12,180
situations in which
you sometimes do.
612
00:32:12,180 --> 00:32:13,431
-Sometimes.
-Santeria ceremonies?
613
00:32:13,723 --> 00:32:16,518
[Buyer] Yes. My grandmother
was dying of stage 4 cancer.
614
00:32:16,518 --> 00:32:18,061
Lung cancer.
615
00:32:18,061 --> 00:32:20,021
[Mariana Van Zeller] And you
performed a ritual on her?
616
00:32:20,021 --> 00:32:20,981
A ceremony?
617
00:32:20,981 --> 00:32:23,108
[Buyer] Yup.
And she's there.
618
00:32:23,108 --> 00:32:24,317
[Mariana Van Zeller]
She's still alive?
619
00:32:24,317 --> 00:32:26,069
[Buyer] She's there.
620
00:32:26,069 --> 00:32:27,988
[Mariana Van Zeller] Do you,
do you have anything with
621
00:32:27,988 --> 00:32:29,823
you right now?
622
00:32:29,823 --> 00:32:35,203
[Buyer] I have, but it's not,
I mean, it's inside the same.
623
00:32:35,203 --> 00:32:36,329
Yeah.
624
00:32:36,329 --> 00:32:37,455
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Can we see it?
625
00:32:37,455 --> 00:32:39,082
Even if we don't
see the inside?
626
00:32:39,082 --> 00:32:40,917
[Buyer] Yeah.
627
00:32:47,132 --> 00:32:50,468
[Mariana Van Zeller] Wow.
628
00:32:50,468 --> 00:32:52,262
So it's a shell, right?
629
00:32:52,262 --> 00:32:53,847
[Buyer] It's a shell, yeah.
630
00:32:53,847 --> 00:32:55,807
[Mariana Van Zeller]
And then what's inside?
631
00:32:55,807 --> 00:32:58,643
[Buyer] It contains a whole
lot of ingredients and stuff.
632
00:32:58,643 --> 00:33:01,229
But the main one is the skull.
633
00:33:01,229 --> 00:33:03,023
[Mariana Van Zeller] So there's
a skull inside, actually?
634
00:33:03,023 --> 00:33:05,192
[Buyer] This one I had to
break it in pieces,
635
00:33:05,192 --> 00:33:06,902
so it could, it all fit inside.
636
00:33:06,902 --> 00:33:07,861
Yup.
637
00:33:08,486 --> 00:33:09,821
[Mariana Van Zeller] How much
do you have pay for a skull?
638
00:33:09,821 --> 00:33:11,281
[Buyer] I paid 5,000, so.
639
00:33:11,281 --> 00:33:12,240
[Mariana Van Zeller] $5,000?
640
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:13,617
-Yes.
-For a skull?
641
00:33:13,617 --> 00:33:14,910
[Buyer] They're expensive.
642
00:33:14,910 --> 00:33:16,494
[Mariana Van Zeller] How
old do you think it was?
643
00:33:16,494 --> 00:33:19,748
[Buyer] I mean, this one in
particular, there were twins.
644
00:33:20,081 --> 00:33:21,166
Eight months?
645
00:33:21,166 --> 00:33:22,751
-Eight months old?
-Yup.
646
00:33:22,751 --> 00:33:24,669
-So baby twins?
-Yup.
647
00:33:24,669 --> 00:33:26,254
[Mariana Van Zeller] Do you
worry at all where the, where
648
00:33:26,254 --> 00:33:29,424
these bones, or body parts,
or skulls are coming from?
649
00:33:29,424 --> 00:33:32,636
[Buyer] No.
I don't, I don't really care.
650
00:33:32,636 --> 00:33:36,514
I mean, I, I just want to,
you know, resolve my problem
651
00:33:36,514 --> 00:33:37,432
for my people.
652
00:33:37,974 --> 00:33:38,850
[Mariana Van Zeller] Do you
have any idea where this
653
00:33:38,850 --> 00:33:40,185
skull came from?
654
00:33:40,185 --> 00:33:41,853
[Buyer] Which one?
655
00:33:41,853 --> 00:33:44,356
[Mariana Van Zeller] The skull
that's inside here, or I mean,
656
00:33:44,356 --> 00:33:46,650
where do you get
your skulls, and bones.
657
00:33:46,650 --> 00:33:49,611
[Buyer] I'd rather not, yeah.
Not answer that question.
658
00:33:49,611 --> 00:33:52,197
[Mariana Van Zeller] But
is it a place, or a person?
659
00:33:52,197 --> 00:33:55,992
[Buyer] It's a person
that I, usually, yeah.
660
00:33:56,368 --> 00:33:57,827
[Mariana Van Zeller] Do you
think this person would
661
00:33:57,827 --> 00:33:59,371
talk to us?
662
00:33:59,371 --> 00:34:03,458
[Buyer] Uh, maybe.
I would have to talk to him.
663
00:34:16,012 --> 00:34:17,806
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Typically, these sorts of asks
664
00:34:17,806 --> 00:34:20,850
don't pay off.
665
00:34:21,685 --> 00:34:25,146
But later that same day,
he comes through
666
00:34:25,146 --> 00:34:27,774
and I feel like I'm on the
verge of meeting someone
667
00:34:27,774 --> 00:34:30,694
who claims to be a real player.
668
00:34:30,694 --> 00:34:33,697
If I can find him.
669
00:34:33,989 --> 00:34:35,156
Is it here?
670
00:34:35,156 --> 00:34:37,492
[Producer] Yeah.
671
00:34:44,499 --> 00:34:46,001
[Mariana Van Zeller] Nothing
weird about driving in the
672
00:34:46,001 --> 00:34:48,586
middle of nowhere.
673
00:34:55,093 --> 00:35:00,515
[music intensifying]
674
00:35:08,940 --> 00:35:13,361
[car engine rumbling]
675
00:35:18,033 --> 00:35:21,202
[door opens, closes]
676
00:35:32,047 --> 00:35:37,719
[footsteps]
677
00:35:39,638 --> 00:35:41,431
-I'm Mariana.
-Chichi.
678
00:35:41,431 --> 00:35:42,766
[Mariana Van Zeller] Hi, Chichi.
Nice to meet you.
679
00:35:42,766 --> 00:35:43,683
Thanks for meeting us.
680
00:35:43,683 --> 00:35:44,642
[Chichi] Of course.
681
00:35:45,268 --> 00:35:47,103
[Mariana Van Zeller] We spoke
with somebody who says that
682
00:35:47,103 --> 00:35:50,357
they have been, they've
purchased some body parts
683
00:35:50,357 --> 00:35:52,192
and bones from you.
684
00:35:52,192 --> 00:35:55,570
Um, can you tell me, um, yeah.
685
00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:58,406
Where, where do you get this
stuff and how are you involved
686
00:35:58,406 --> 00:35:59,658
in the business?
687
00:35:59,908 --> 00:36:02,369
[Chichi] I, uh, I, uh, I
work for a company that was a
688
00:36:02,369 --> 00:36:08,958
biomedical company and
dealt with, uh, the donors.
689
00:36:09,834 --> 00:36:15,298
And, uh, the tissue
went into a biohazard bin.
690
00:36:16,383 --> 00:36:18,843
It could have been anywhere
from your big bones,
691
00:36:18,843 --> 00:36:21,513
to your spine, to your pelvis.
692
00:36:21,513 --> 00:36:22,931
Right?
693
00:36:22,931 --> 00:36:25,850
Uh, all that would
be discarded into a
694
00:36:25,850 --> 00:36:27,310
big garbage can.
695
00:36:27,310 --> 00:36:30,146
And it was done.
That's it. It was gone.
696
00:36:30,146 --> 00:36:31,606
Gonna go get cremated.
697
00:36:31,606 --> 00:36:32,524
Right?
698
00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:34,484
And then there was, uh, few
things I was able to,
699
00:36:34,484 --> 00:36:36,027
you know, kind of take, Right?
700
00:36:36,027 --> 00:36:38,154
And put it inside my sweater
701
00:36:38,154 --> 00:36:40,782
and kind of just
put it in my bag. Right?
702
00:36:40,782 --> 00:36:42,075
[Mariana Van Zeller] And there
were no cameras there, nothing?
703
00:36:42,075 --> 00:36:43,159
No surveillance?
704
00:36:43,660 --> 00:36:44,869
[Chichi] Not in the, not, not
once it was inside the, uh,
705
00:36:44,869 --> 00:36:47,247
biomedical, uh,
biohazard bins.
706
00:36:47,247 --> 00:36:50,708
So this is a image of a big bone
that I was able to take out.
707
00:36:50,708 --> 00:36:52,460
That was gonna get discarded.
708
00:36:52,460 --> 00:36:53,920
[Mariana Van Zeller] Oh,
so there's a lot of bags.
709
00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,296
-Yeah.
-With lot of bones.
710
00:36:55,296 --> 00:36:56,589
And what, what bone?
711
00:36:56,589 --> 00:36:57,590
[Chichi] That's a tibia.
712
00:36:57,590 --> 00:36:58,842
-Oh, the leg bone?
-Yeah.
713
00:36:59,175 --> 00:37:00,301
[Mariana Van Zeller] So you
literally put it sort of under
714
00:37:00,635 --> 00:37:01,928
your sweater and walked out
with it and then put it
715
00:37:01,928 --> 00:37:03,012
in a backpack?
716
00:37:03,012 --> 00:37:03,972
[Chichi] Yeah. Yeah.
717
00:37:04,514 --> 00:37:06,224
It's just, you know, simply
just tucking it and going.
718
00:37:06,224 --> 00:37:09,686
There was many people that
worked in the company that
719
00:37:09,686 --> 00:37:13,648
got caught up reselling
discarded tissue on eBay.
720
00:37:13,648 --> 00:37:15,233
[Mariana Van Zeller] No way.
721
00:37:15,233 --> 00:37:18,528
Finally, firsthand evidence
of what I've heard throughout
722
00:37:18,528 --> 00:37:22,157
this journey, that the real
threat in this black market
723
00:37:22,157 --> 00:37:25,869
are opportunists working
inside the legal industry,
724
00:37:26,244 --> 00:37:28,621
like this guy and
his co-workers.
725
00:37:29,122 --> 00:37:31,583
[Chichi] It was many different
people that did this, as well.
726
00:37:31,583 --> 00:37:32,375
[Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-huh.
727
00:37:32,959 --> 00:37:35,086
[Chichi] I was just one that,
you know, excelled.
728
00:37:41,718 --> 00:37:43,553
[Mariana Van Zeller] How long
did you work at this
729
00:37:43,553 --> 00:37:44,762
tissue bank for?
730
00:37:45,138 --> 00:37:47,682
[Chichi] I worked there for
about three and a half years.
731
00:37:47,682 --> 00:37:49,267
[Mariana Van Zeller] I'm in
Florida, where I've finally
732
00:37:49,267 --> 00:37:51,895
connected with a man who
claims to be a black market
733
00:37:51,895 --> 00:37:54,397
seller of body parts.
734
00:37:54,397 --> 00:37:56,274
So you actually knew other
people who did the same?
735
00:37:56,274 --> 00:38:00,361
[Chichi] Yeah, and those people
ended up getting dealt with
736
00:38:00,361 --> 00:38:02,614
through the company
and were let go.
737
00:38:02,614 --> 00:38:04,282
[Mariana Van Zeller] Oh, so
the company actually found out
738
00:38:04,282 --> 00:38:05,366
they were doing this?
739
00:38:05,366 --> 00:38:06,326
[Chichi] Yeah. Yeah.
740
00:38:06,868 --> 00:38:07,786
[Mariana Van Zeller] Oh, so they
let them go because of it?
741
00:38:07,786 --> 00:38:08,578
[Chichi] Yeah.
742
00:38:09,204 --> 00:38:10,788
[Mariana Van Zeller] And did
the company ever, uh,
743
00:38:10,788 --> 00:38:12,457
report to the authorities?
744
00:38:12,457 --> 00:38:15,043
[Chichi] Hmm.
I don't think so.
745
00:38:15,043 --> 00:38:18,296
[Mariana Van Zeller] Um, what
body parts are we talking about?
746
00:38:18,296 --> 00:38:19,714
[Chichi] It could vary.
747
00:38:19,714 --> 00:38:23,551
It could vary from a
skull to a pinky toe.
748
00:38:23,551 --> 00:38:25,929
What people needed,
the human bones.
749
00:38:25,929 --> 00:38:27,514
[Mariana Van Zeller] But you
were also making money from it?
750
00:38:27,514 --> 00:38:28,431
[Chichi] Yeah.
751
00:38:29,015 --> 00:38:31,226
I'm taking a bone and I'm
selling it for 1,000, 5,000,
752
00:38:31,226 --> 00:38:33,436
$6,000,
depending on what it is.
753
00:38:33,436 --> 00:38:35,271
[Mariana Van Zeller] Is it
expensive because it is not
754
00:38:35,271 --> 00:38:38,316
usually available because it's
hard to get, I'm assuming?
755
00:38:38,316 --> 00:38:39,275
[Chichi] Yeah.
756
00:38:39,818 --> 00:38:42,195
In order to get a skull,
you gotta go to the cemetery.
757
00:38:42,195 --> 00:38:44,030
Right?
758
00:38:44,030 --> 00:38:45,782
And that's the only
way to get it,
759
00:38:45,782 --> 00:38:47,826
is if we go into the cemetery.
760
00:38:47,826 --> 00:38:50,578
And, uh, there's only one
cemetery here in Miami that's
761
00:38:50,578 --> 00:38:52,830
capable of offering that.
762
00:38:52,830 --> 00:38:55,667
[Mariana Van Zeller] Wait,
so, so there's actually a, a
763
00:38:55,667 --> 00:38:58,127
graveyard here in
Miami where people go and...
764
00:38:58,127 --> 00:39:01,214
[Chichi] Yeah. It's, uh, in
the heart of Liberty City,
765
00:39:01,214 --> 00:39:03,716
it's a very old cemetery.
766
00:39:03,716 --> 00:39:06,261
It's filled, so there's graves
that come out of the ground
767
00:39:06,803 --> 00:39:09,806
and if needed,
that's the place.
768
00:39:09,806 --> 00:39:11,683
[Mariana Van Zeller] Have
you done it, too? No?
769
00:39:11,683 --> 00:39:12,767
[Chichi] Uh, yeah.
770
00:39:12,767 --> 00:39:13,893
-The grave robbing?
-Yeah.
771
00:39:13,893 --> 00:39:15,562
-Oh, you have, as well?
-Yeah.
772
00:39:15,562 --> 00:39:17,522
Uh, this skull here.
773
00:39:17,522 --> 00:39:19,065
[Mariana Van Zeller] Oh, wow.
774
00:39:19,065 --> 00:39:21,359
[Chichi] Right? This was
taken out of the cemetery.
775
00:39:21,359 --> 00:39:22,777
[Mariana Van Zeller] So it's a
skull that you procured,
776
00:39:22,777 --> 00:39:23,653
that you got, you sold.
777
00:39:24,028 --> 00:39:25,113
[Chichi] Yeah.
Yeah, I went and dealt this.
778
00:39:25,613 --> 00:39:26,531
[Mariana Van Zeller] How much
money would you say you made
779
00:39:26,531 --> 00:39:29,868
in total actually, more or less?
780
00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:33,121
[Chichi] Close to 80k.
781
00:39:33,121 --> 00:39:35,665
[Mariana Van Zeller] I mention
the buyer I met earlier.
782
00:39:35,665 --> 00:39:37,625
[Chichi] He's, uh,
my biggest customer.
783
00:39:37,625 --> 00:39:39,335
[Mariana Van Zeller] And, well,
I think he did say he
784
00:39:39,335 --> 00:39:41,838
bought a skull for
a $5,000 from you.
785
00:39:41,838 --> 00:39:43,464
[Chichi] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
786
00:39:43,464 --> 00:39:45,174
You know, whatever he did with
whatever I sold him afterwards
787
00:39:45,174 --> 00:39:47,093
was his matters.
788
00:39:47,093 --> 00:39:48,344
You know?
789
00:39:48,678 --> 00:39:50,805
[Mariana Van Zeller] And if
the police were to catch you,
790
00:39:50,805 --> 00:39:52,807
what do you think
would happen to you?
791
00:39:52,807 --> 00:39:55,602
[Chichi] Uh, I mean,
I'm pretty sure, uh,
792
00:39:55,602 --> 00:39:57,061
everyone's aware of
what could happen.
793
00:39:57,061 --> 00:39:58,605
Right?
794
00:39:58,605 --> 00:40:01,024
But it's
untraceable at this point.
795
00:40:01,900 --> 00:40:04,152
[Mariana Van Zeller]
Untraceable, a heartbreaking
796
00:40:04,152 --> 00:40:07,071
thought for the bodies
of our loved ones,
797
00:40:07,071 --> 00:40:11,159
and a far cry
from resting in peace.
798
00:40:14,037 --> 00:40:16,497
When you die do you think you
want your body to be donated?
799
00:40:16,497 --> 00:40:20,460
[Chichi] Um, I'm not a donor,
800
00:40:20,460 --> 00:40:23,004
uh, and I want to leave
this message clear,
801
00:40:23,004 --> 00:40:25,173
that this can
happen to anyone,
802
00:40:25,173 --> 00:40:26,799
regardless of you
being a donor, or not.
803
00:40:26,799 --> 00:40:29,844
Your body parts are gonna be
sold and it's gonna be sold
804
00:40:29,844 --> 00:40:32,764
to him at a top dollar.
805
00:40:36,726 --> 00:40:38,519
[Mariana Van Zeller]
But you should note that
806
00:40:38,519 --> 00:40:42,231
every now and then,
justice does get served.
807
00:40:42,231 --> 00:40:44,233
[News Anchor] Megan Hess
and Shirley Koch pleaded guilty
808
00:40:44,233 --> 00:40:45,902
to mail fraud.
809
00:40:45,902 --> 00:40:47,987
[Mariana Van Zeller] For their
crimes, Megan Hess was sentenced
810
00:40:47,987 --> 00:40:50,073
to 20 years and
811
00:40:50,073 --> 00:40:53,910
her mother, Shirley Koch, to
15 years in federal prison.
812
00:40:55,954 --> 00:40:58,289
[Paul Johnson] Would I
donate my body to science?
813
00:40:58,289 --> 00:41:00,917
Um, no.
814
00:41:01,751 --> 00:41:03,628
I do believe in the work,
815
00:41:03,628 --> 00:41:06,547
but I don't trust the
industry as a whole.
816
00:41:06,881 --> 00:41:09,384
[Mariana Van Zeller] Around 3
million people die in the U.S.
817
00:41:09,384 --> 00:41:13,763
every year, that's 3 million
families trying to figure out
818
00:41:13,763 --> 00:41:18,101
burial, cremation or donation
arrangements for loved ones.
819
00:41:19,852 --> 00:41:23,564
But if the options seem
hopeless, they're not.
820
00:41:23,564 --> 00:41:26,109
In the course of reporting
this story I met a lot of
821
00:41:26,109 --> 00:41:28,945
people on the hunt
for the right option.
822
00:41:28,945 --> 00:41:30,446
It's out there.
823
00:41:30,446 --> 00:41:32,740
You just have to
do your homework.
824
00:41:32,740 --> 00:41:35,326
Like Sherri did.
825
00:41:35,952 --> 00:41:37,620
[Sherri] I was
diagnosed in 2013.
826
00:41:37,620 --> 00:41:40,164
I had a mastectomy,
827
00:41:40,164 --> 00:41:43,126
and then eventually
I had a second tumor.
828
00:41:43,126 --> 00:41:46,337
I'm at the level of hospice
that is end of life care.
829
00:41:46,337 --> 00:41:49,173
[Mariana Van Zeller] How do
you feel physically right now?
830
00:41:49,173 --> 00:41:51,634
[Sherri] I have to have a
lot of sleep, so I've sort of
831
00:41:51,634 --> 00:41:55,138
given into that and
I eat like crazy.
832
00:41:55,138 --> 00:41:56,014
[Mariana Van Zeller] Mm-hmm.
833
00:41:56,597 --> 00:41:57,640
[Sherri's Husband] She ate
24 cream puffs one night.
834
00:41:57,640 --> 00:41:59,934
[laughing]
835
00:42:00,601 --> 00:42:02,729
[Mariana Van Zeller] Without
much time left, Sherri came to
836
00:42:02,729 --> 00:42:05,565
the decision to donate
her body to science,
837
00:42:05,565 --> 00:42:09,277
specifically to a program at
Western Carolina University
838
00:42:09,277 --> 00:42:12,238
that trains dogs to
find missing people.
839
00:42:12,238 --> 00:42:14,115
[Dog Trainer] What?
Atta girl.
840
00:42:14,115 --> 00:42:16,117
[Mariana Van Zeller] It made
Sherri feel good that her body
841
00:42:16,117 --> 00:42:19,787
would be used to help other
families after she's gone.
842
00:42:19,787 --> 00:42:22,248
What would you say to the
people who don't respect
843
00:42:22,248 --> 00:42:25,793
those wishes, who profit
out of people's bodies
844
00:42:25,793 --> 00:42:28,421
without their consent?
845
00:42:28,421 --> 00:42:30,548
Whether you're running a
funeral home and selling
846
00:42:30,548 --> 00:42:32,175
body parts in the back,
847
00:42:32,175 --> 00:42:35,678
or you're stealing body parts to
use them in the oddities market.
848
00:42:35,678 --> 00:42:37,638
I think there's this idea that,
849
00:42:37,638 --> 00:42:39,223
"who cares, the
person's already dead,
850
00:42:39,223 --> 00:42:40,433
who cares what happens
to their body?"
851
00:42:40,433 --> 00:42:41,517
[Sherri] Right.
852
00:42:42,018 --> 00:42:43,561
[Mariana Van Zeller] So what
would you say to those people?
853
00:42:44,187 --> 00:42:47,774
[Sherri] Well, it's, to me,
probably one of the greatest
854
00:42:47,774 --> 00:42:51,736
forms of invasion.
855
00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:54,906
It's the final act
of a human being.
856
00:42:55,364 --> 00:42:58,826
Your leaving is
no small thing.
857
00:42:59,702 --> 00:43:04,916
So when you have someone who
has moved into that process
858
00:43:04,916 --> 00:43:08,127
in an illegal way,
859
00:43:08,127 --> 00:43:12,507
I'm, I'm baffled
and I'm hurt
860
00:43:12,507 --> 00:43:15,635
that a human could
861
00:43:15,635 --> 00:43:18,179
move in that cycle of thinking.
862
00:43:18,179 --> 00:43:21,974
How they could sleep,
how they could repeat it,
863
00:43:21,974 --> 00:43:25,144
how they could profit from it.
864
00:43:25,144 --> 00:43:29,023
It's beyond my capability
to understand that
865
00:43:29,023 --> 00:43:31,943
part of our psyche.
866
00:43:32,568 --> 00:43:34,278
[Mariana Van Zeller]
I have to agree.
867
00:43:34,278 --> 00:43:38,241
I've spent much of my life
embedded in black markets.
868
00:43:38,241 --> 00:43:41,244
I'd rather not be
there in death, too.
869
00:43:42,453 --> 00:43:44,664
[music plays through credits]
870
00:44:02,306 --> 00:44:03,683
Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.
65427
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