James Nott, a resident of Kentucky, has become the subject of a nationwide investigation following the discovery of an assortment of human remains within his home. As per charging documents, approximately 40 skulls and numerous other skeletal parts were unveiled upon a raid of Nott's Mt. Washington residence.
Faced with inquiries from law enforcement, Nott's response was alarming, referring to the deceased remains as his 'dead friends'. However, it was not only human relics that were found within Nott's home. An assortment of firearms was discovered, one being an AK-47. Nott's past criminal conviction makes this weapons possession illegal.
The alias of 'William Burke' was noted within the charging document. This moniker, synonymous with an infamous 19th-century Scottish serial killer, was utilized by Nott in his online transactions of the human parts. Despite these revelations, charges relating to the sales have yet to be made against him.
Nott's interactions with Jeremy Pauley, a Pennsylvania native, are a component of the investigation. Pauley was arrested in 2022 for his illicit procurement of stolen mortuary body parts. Intriguingly, Pauley was also a customer of Harvard Medical School's morgue manager, under investigation for similar crimes.
Subsequently, Cedric Lodge, the morgue manager, and his wife Denise, were apprehended for selling body parts across state boundaries. Yet, the connection between Nott and the Lodges remains murky, and the means by which Nott acquired his bizarre collection of 'dead friends' is unknown.
