NEWS > BUSINESS > COURTS CRACKING DOWN ON INDEPENDENT BODY SELLERS

COURTS CRACKING DOWN ON INDEPENDENT BODY SELLERS

May 15 2009

Los Angeles, CA – As the old saying goes, the dead tell no tales. There is of course a major difference between the dead individual and their mortal remains and unfortunately for some dead bodies to tend to speak very loudly. As medical science
has advanced bodies of the dead have gained a more and more powerful voice. Forensic science and DNA identification have fundamentally changed the landscape for the dead, allowing their bodies to express what their person is no longer capable.

That tattle-tailing has led to many a criminal conviction and the end to many lucrative businesses. Industries such as contract killing, serial killing, and organ harvesting have all seen dramatic declines in recent years and resulted in more than a few criminal convictions. Such is the case for former independent body seller Ernest Nelson whose conviction on eight charges may put a
damper on the industry for good. His conviction and fine has many concerned that the government’s actions may be restricting the ability of small businesses to achieve success.

“Getting and keeping a job is next to impossible for many people and that inevitably leads to people trying to go it on their own. With prospects still extremely dim, the prospect of the government and courts stopping people from starting and maintaining their own businesses is extremely worrying,” said Scrape TV Business analyst Ken Green. “While it would be largely unreasonable for certain industries like contract killing to be allowed to flourish that kind of spirit is what the country needs right now. Cutting up dead people isn’t the same thing as killing, being that they are already dead, and really all you have in this case is a little back alley dealing.”

Nelson worked with an insider at the UCLA’s Willed Body Program to purchase cadavers and sell the parts off independently. The relationship was uncovered in 2004, long before the current financial crisis put many in the position of financial desperation.

“There is a likelihood that had this occurred today there would have been little done about it. I doubt there would be many prosecutors in Los Angeles or any other district in the country who would want to be seen to be taking actions against small businesses especially where no one is getting hurt,” continued Green. “There is
of course the outside possibility that some in the DA’s office has a vested interest in seeing a competitor put out of business or that the government is exploring its own footing in the body trade. Of course there was a significant amount of public outcry in this case but again that was before the economy collapsed.”

That outcry led to the school instituting new rules and procedures such as hiring better staff and tracking bodies, something most expected would have been in place to begin with.

“The outrage is understandable at the very least. These bodies have been donated to
science and are then being used for profit without the families getting a cut, so to speak. The side benefit though is that with more tracking and responsibility in place there are more people employed at the school and so even though one door was closed, for others another one opened,” continued Green. “Of course why they weren’t doing simple things like keeping track of their inventory is a little confusing but it looks like they may have gotten things right now. Now they will be better able to track how many bodies they lose and that will keep people employed at least for a little while.”

The body program and UCLA was closed down in 1996 as well after bodies were thrown in the garbage which resulted in little to no profit.

William Ashford, Business Correspondent

NEWS > BUSINESS > COURTS CRACKING DOWN ON INDEPENDENT BODY SELLERS