# Is it illegal to be in possession of a human body part? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293 "2007-01-24T19:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/21 "2007-01-25T16:33:44Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] if I had the cash, I could drive down to Berkeley, buy an armload of human skeletons, and be back in time for lunch. [/QUOTE] Planning on having soup for lunch? If Human bones are so expensive, is it possible to have your own bones sold off as part of a will to benefit your heirs? ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/22 "2007-01-26T01:04:42Z")
Under British law, the crucial recent case is that of [Anthony-Noel Kelly](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/68877.stm), an artist who was charged, convicted and jailed for stealing body parts. Traditionally in England the law didn’t regard a body as a possession of anyone and hence something that couldn’t be stolen. Once upon a time, this led to various work-arounds like bodysnatchers being prosecuted for nicking the burial clothes that happened to shroud the body they were carting off. Which in turn led to to the standard practice amongst snatchers of stripping the bodies of their clothing. (Ruth Richardson’s 1988 classic _Death, Dissection and the Destitute_ is stuffed full of such details.) ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/23 "2007-01-26T03:50:31Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] I used to teach Human Anatomy, but since it was for non-pre-meds we dissected cats instead of cadavers. But we had plenty of real human bones and other human body parts in jars around the lab. [/QUOTE] One of the medical schools (NY State) I interviewed with gave students taking anatomy a box of human bones to study at home. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/24 "2007-01-26T09:28:28Z")
[QUOTE=Bippy the Beardless] If Human bones are so expensive, is it possible to have your own bones sold off as part of a will to benefit your heirs? [/QUOTE] No need. Some unethical b\*\*\*\*\*\*d will slice out your bones and sell them and stuff PVC pipes in your legs without you having to do a thing. :mad: Si ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/25 "2007-02-02T18:42:25Z")
Here is the [update](http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/middlesex/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1170395309132690.xml&coll=1) for those who are interested. This is about the stripper and the body parts. It seems like the original charges of improper disposition of human remains were dropped after the origin of the parts were revealed during the investigation. I’m sure the biggest concern was to find out where the parts came from and if there was some other crime involved such as murder. It seems that the skulls were obtained legally. The hand was stolen by a then med student and he gave it to the stripper for a job well done. The doctor plead guilty to theft and she was charged with receiving stolen property. He is getting 5 years probation and can’t apply for a medical license in New Jersey during that time (he is a resident in California so no big deal). She is going to enter a pre-trial intervention program which will clear her record if she doesn’t commit any crimes. Neither got to keep the hand. ---
**Author:** ![MistressEviscia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@MistressEviscia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MistressEviscia)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/26 "2013-06-04T00:48:23Z")
I know this is old, but I hope someone might know the answer to the question I have. I’m a Dominatrix and a slave of mine is going to be castrated by a surgeon. I want to know if it’s legal for me to keep and plastinate his testicles. He’ll be quite alive and well after the surgery, and he will give consent for me to own them. I know, it’s weird, but it would be like a trophy in my line of work. I appreciate any answers. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/27 "2013-06-04T02:10:10Z")
Jesus Christ. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/28 "2013-06-04T02:14:37Z")
That took balls. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/29 "2013-06-04T02:48:25Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/30 "2013-06-04T03:43:55Z")
**MistressEviscia** , if you indeed are on the level and your nonce username was chosen to match your first posting topic, welcome. Of all the threads of all the forum joints in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/31 "2013-06-04T03:57:39Z")
Have you considered asking [Dennis Cooper](http://www.amazon.com/Sluts-Dennis-Cooper/dp/0786716746)? ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/32 "2013-06-04T04:13:40Z")
> [@MistressEviscia](#): > > I want to know if it’s legal for me to keep and plastinate his testicles. Well, my wife took mine right after we got married, and not with my consent. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of them since. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/33 "2013-06-04T04:36:13Z")
I think I [spotted them](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kOzZO5PDHzU/S-_107pFSUI/AAAAAAAAAWc/NNr2h-ozDcw/s1600/Heroes+Run+2010+083.jpg) in Brighton Beach. They’re still on the run. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/34 "2013-06-04T04:52:12Z")
Well, you may wish to actually contact [Gunther von Hagens](http://www.koerperwelten.com/de.html) himself for advice—he might not only be able to advise on the legal aspects, but perhaps also as an official go-between and be able to perform the actual plastination. (I don’t know about the costs…perhaps he’d let you ameliorate the expenses by lending out the testicles for display on the next Body Worlds tour, or some such. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293/35 "2013-06-04T06:25:55Z")
Greetings MistressEviscia and welcome to the Straight Dope message board! IANAL, but… It seems that MistressEviscia is asking for legal advice. Laws vary by state and even locality. So it probably would be best to consult with a lawyer outside of a message board setting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-be-in-possession-of-a-human-body-part/389293.md?page=1)