Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane
Southwest Airlines employee finds human heads on their way to Fort Worth
By SCOTT GORDON
Updated 10:33 AM CDT, Thu, Jun 17, 2010

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A Southwest Airlines employee called police after finding human heads in a package set to be transported to a Fort Worth medical research company, the airline said.

"It wasn't labeled or packaged properly," said Ashley Rogers, a Southwest spokeswoman. "They called the local authorities."

The incident happened in Little Rock, Ark., last Wednesday, she said.

Little Rock police turned the package over to the county coroner, who questions where they came from and if they were properly obtained.

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"We've come to the conclusion that there is a black market out there for human body parts for research or for whatever reason," said Pulaski County coroner Garland Camper. "We just want to make sure these specimens here aren't a part of that black market and underground trade."

The heads were being transported to the Fort Worth office of Medtronic, a leading medical research and technology company based in Minnesota.

Medtronic spokesman Brian Henry said it is common to ship body parts for medical education and research, but he said it is rare for a shipment to be seized.

"We expect our suppliers to follow proper procedures," he said.

Camper described the items as 40 to 60 human heads.

But Henry said they were "four full cranial specimens and 40 pairs of temporal bone ear blocks."

He identified the supplier as JLS Consulting of Wynne, Ark.

JLS's business license was revoked in December, according to the Arkansas Secretary of State's online database.

Company founder Janice Hepler did not return phone calls Wednesday. Her voice mail indicated it was full and no longer accepting messages.

But in an earlier interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, she blamed the problem on the private courier she had hired to transport the body parts.

"Nothing is wrong," the newspaper quoted her as saying. "We're providing the documentation."

But the coroner said the paperwork has "discrepancies."

Federal law generally prohibits the sale of human body parts, although suppliers can be reimbursed for expenses in cases of legitimate medical education or research.

"It is a lucrative business. There is money to be made," Camper said. "We're hoping that this isn't the case."



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First Published: Jun 16, 2010 9:45 PM CDT
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9:23 AM, 6.17.10Johnson_Grande Look, I understand the need for medical research and also the need to make a buck, but that's no way to get ahead... more
Look, I understand the need for medical research and also the need to make a buck, but that's no way to get ahead...9:33 AM, 6.17.10You Might LikeRelated TopicsFort Worth | Little Rock You Might Like
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134 CommentsOLDEST | RECENT 3NVyQhCvn8/D7mM2vzYk3mSdNwN9SBkGvFbems6ZFJQ=
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Man, talk about a bunch of airheads..."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396489_96529404","adminTags":null,"views":70,"createdBy":23767060,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":5413485,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"17 Jun 2010 13:46:07 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":134,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"Johnson_Grande","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"3043599","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"I wonder how many were Greatful Dead fans?...."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396489_96529404","adminTags":null,"views":70,"createdBy":23767284,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":5413485,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"17 Jun 2010 13:48:51 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":134,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"fb_100000011950081","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"3043613","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Call The FBI>"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396489_96529404","adminTags":null,"views":70,"createdBy":23040737,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":5413485,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"17 Jun 2010 13:51:19 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":134,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"carolyn2009","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"3043621","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"They can't blame Bush for this, it's someone at Head Office's fault."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396489_96529404","adminTags":null,"views":70,"createdBy":23767338,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":5413485,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"17 Jun 2010 13:51:46 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":134,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"dobro","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"3043626","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"This made the headlines"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396489_96529404","adminTags":null,"views":70,"createdBy":23767396,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":5413485,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"17 Jun 2010 13:56:54 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":134,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"billm2000","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"3043660","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Heads on a plane. Hum...... I wonder if Samuel L Jackson is available?"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396489_96529404","adminTags":null,"views":70,"createdBy":23767414,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":5413485,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"17 Jun 2010 13:58:21 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":134,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"jet11","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"3043676","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"40 to 60??? Can they not get an accurate headcount?"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"396489_96529404","adminTags":null,"views":70,"createdBy":23767338,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Southwest Finds Shipment of Heads on a Plane","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":5413485,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"17 Jun 2010 14:00:33 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":134,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"dobro","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"3043700","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"This made the headline? "}],"error":"","totPages":14} TCLS Some heads are going to roll.
9:23 AM, 6.17.10
RejectEditJohnson_Grande Look, I understand the need for medical research and also the need to make a buck, but that's no way to get ahead... more
Look, I understand the need for medical research and also the need to make a buck, but that's no way to get ahead...9:33 AM, 6.17.10
RejectEditJohnson_Grande Flying around to various destinations. Improperly packaged and labled. Not following proper proceadures.

Man, talk about a bunch of airheads... more
Flying around to various destinations. Improperly packaged and labled. Not following proper proceadures.

Man, talk about a bunch of airheads...9:44 AM, 6.17.10
RejectEditJohnson_Grande I wonder how many were Greatful Dead fans?.... more
I wonder how many were Greatful Dead fans?....9:46 AM, 6.17.10
RejectEditFacebook User Call The FBI>
9:48 AM, 6.17.10
RejectEditLook, I understand the need for medical research and also the need to make a buck, but that's no way to get ahead...
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