US undertakers admit corpse scam

[DoYouEverWonder]

18 October 2006

Seven undertakers in the New York area have admitted being part of a scheme to steal body parts for transplants.

The criminal operation saw body parts removed from corpses without the consent of relatives and sold to biomedical companies.

The body of veteran BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke was among those used.

Brooklyn district attorney Charles Hynes said that hundreds of parts were sold for millions of dollars, and that more people were likely to be charged.

He said the seven, who have not been named, agreed to co-operate in the investigation and entered their pleas in a secret hearing.

One of those who pleaded guilty was the undertaker who removed parts from the body of Alistair Cooke, who died in 2004 aged 95, Associated Press reported.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6064692.stm

[OhioChick]

1. This is bothersome......

Been hearing about this sort of thing a lot, lately. Makes you wonder how often it really is occurring....

[mcscajun]

2. DoYouEver Wonder

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs. Thanks.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. When did 6 sentences

become more then four paragraphs?

[mcscajun]

9. When each of those sentences was a paragraph in the original article.

Linked by you.

[babylonsister]

3. To have so little regard for people's wishes or dead bodies

is disgusting.
Whoever was receiving those parts needs to be exposed and punished as well.

[dflprincess]

4. Not to mention, what's the condition of the organs they're stealing

isn't there a fairly short time period when organs can be removed and still be viable?

[babylonsister]

5. Real good point! Perhaps experiments are being conducted?

I think skin can be used for awhile, but not organs. :shrug:

[anotherdrew]

6. no more likely demonstration surgeries for docs at lovely conferences n/t

[shanti]

8. how ghoulish

:( makes you want to be buried at sea.