Human Skulls, Spinal Cords Found Decorated Around Man's House: FBI

Human remains, including skulls and spinal cords, were found decorated around a Kentucky man's house following the execution of a warrant, according to the FBI.

The agency found dozens of human remains as agents carried out a search warrant at the home of James Nott, 39, in Mt. Washington, just southeast of Louisville, on Tuesday.

In a July 11 statement, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky said the warrant was in connection with "a search for firearms and trafficked human remains."

When police asked Nott if there was anyone else inside the property he responded, "Only my dead friends," according to court records obtained by CBS affiliate WLKY

When FBI agents searched the home, they found about 40 human skulls, spinal cords, femurs, hip bones, and a Harvard Medical School bag, the court records said.

The skulls were decorated around the furniture and one of them had been found on his bed, the records added.

The FBI said Nott had been selling human remains on his public Facebook page in June.

According to WLKY, the FBI investigation found Nott had been in contact with a man in Pennsylvania who possessed human organs and skin. The man also had connections with other people who wanted to sell human remains.

The FBI said the man in Pennsylvania knew of a woman in Arkansas via Facebook who worked at a mortuary and was allegedly selling him remains that were meant to be cremated.

Through the Pennsylvania man, FBI investigators also found Cedric Lodge, a morgue manager for the Harvard Medical School Anatomical Gift Program, who they said was also using Facebook to sell stolen human remains.

Lodge had worked at the morgue for almost 30 years and allegedly carried out the illegal operation between 2018 and 2022. He allegedly stole the organs from donated bodies before their scheduled cremation.

He is also alleged to have brought the human remains to his New Hampshire home to sell. In at least one case, he allegedly brought prospective buyers to the morgue to choose what human remains they wanted to buy.

Nott made his initial appearance before a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on Tuesday, according to the FBI statement.

If convicted, Nott faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

Newsweek has contacted the Mt. Washington Police Department for comment via its Facebook page.