A woman vividly remembers the shocking phone call she received from law enforcement informing her that they had found her father’s head in a warehouse, among more than 100 other bodies, despite believing he had donated his body to science.
Farrah Fasold’s father, Harrold Dillard, passed away at 56 in 2009 after battling cancer. During his final days in a hospice, a company named BioCare approached him about donating his remains for medical training purposes.
Reflecting on her father’s decision, Farrah shared that he saw it as a way to ease the burden on his family and considered it a selfless act. The family was assured that any unused parts of his body would be cremated, and his ashes would be returned without charge.
Shortly after his passing on Christmas Eve, his body was taken from the hospice. Months later, Farrah was devastated to learn that the police had discovered her father’s head, leading to a distressing revelation about the fate of his remains.
Expressing her anguish, Farrah stated that they would never have agreed to the donation had they known about the possibility of body parts being sold. The detective handling the case revealed that the bodies had been dismembered crudely, likely with a chainsaw, suggesting that a company had acquired the bodies to harvest and sell them, rather than fulfilling the promised cremation.
Farrah believes that her father’s body was mistreated and not handled as respectfully as assured by the company. She described haunting images of body parts in containers, leading to severe insomnia and emotional distress.
The practice known as “body brokering” involves companies acting as intermediaries that receive body donations, then sell the remains rather than using them for medical research as expected. This stark reality contrasts with the belief that donors are contributing to science and will be treated with dignity.
Regrettably, many Americans unknowingly participate in this unregulated market, where their bodies are commodities for profit rather than contributions to scientific advancement. Unlike the strictly regulated organ and tissue transplant industry, the trade of cadavers and body parts for research lacks federal oversight, creating a concerning environment where almost anyone can handle and sell human remains.
The lack of state laws governing this industry has raised significant ethical concerns, with experts likening the situation to historical grave-robbing practices. Angela McArthur, who oversees a body donation program, highlighted the urgent need for stricter regulations to prevent exploitation and ensure ethical handling of human remains.