FBI probes claims of body part sales-U of TX Medical Branch @ Galveston

GALVESTON -- Federal agents are investigating allegations that an employee at the University of Texas Medical Branch illegally sold body parts for his own gain, an FBI spokesman said Monday.

And, in what UTMB President Dr. John Stobo called "an unforgivable failure of oversight," officials at the medical school said they have discovered that the cremated remains of many people who willed their bodies to science were mixed.

In a letter e-mailed to the medical center's faculty and staff late Monday, Stobo apologized to families that may have received mixed ashes and said, "We pledge to do everything in our power to resolve the problem quickly."

Staff members began contacting relatives who may have received mixed ashes immediately after learning of the fiasco. The medical center also set up a telephone hot line staffed by counselors who will offer assistance and additional information to the families, Stobo said in his letter.

"We are also working with the families affected to determine how best to make amends to each of them, in a way that honors the wishes of their loved ones," he wrote.

The problems were revealed in a management audit of UTMB's Willed Body Program that began in March and resulted in the May 9 firing of Allen Tyler Jr., 56, of Galveston.

Tyler was responsible for receiving and shipping all bodies and body parts at the medical school, as well as for dismembering bodies and shipping parts to other research facilities across the state and nation, according to a document obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

The Willed Body Program receives an average of 300 bodies a year, officials say, only about half of which are used by medical students and researchers at the Galveston medical center.

Under direction of the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas, UTMB can ship cadavers and body parts to medical schools and research facilities in other states, but not for profit.

The FBI is investigating whether an employee at the center was running an illegal body-part brokering operation, Houston FBI spokesman Bob Doguim said.

"There may have been someone inside that program who was selling those body parts," Doguim said.

He did not mention Tyler but said officials at the medical center had asked the FBI to investigate its Willed Body Program.

Tyler's name appeared in a California newspaper report in February in which he was quoted as saying he was paid $2,500 and expenses for weekends spent dismembering bodies for a company whose owner was accused of body-part brokering.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise quoted him as saying he believed the company was legitimate.

Although only 56 years old, Tyler has worked at UTMB since March 1962, spokeswoman Doris White said, and 36 of those years were spent in the Willed Body Program.

Tyler's last position was supervisor of anatomical services. It was unclear late Monday how long he held that job, but Stobo said record keeping and other problems in the Willed Body Program may go back five years or more.

If anyone was selling bodies or body parts donated to UTMB, that person could face wire- or mail-fraud charges for making deals by telephone and mailing body parts, Doguim said.

The management audit was conducted as a routine step in a change of program directors, Stobo said.

Dr. Thomas "Jackie" Collins became director of the program after Dr. Andrew Payer resigned late last year to take a job at Florida State University.

Stobo said there is no indication that anyone other than Tyler might have known of any irregularities.

Tyler controlled all receiving, invoicing and shipping of bodies and body parts at UTMB, according to the agenda of an April 26 meeting at which unspecified UTMB personnel discussed potential problems with the Willed Body Program.

Under the heading "Concerns," the agenda lists "potential forgery of Texas Department of Health Report of Death reports" and "potential body-brokering ring -- selling body parts for profit."

Under the heading "Issues," the agenda states that body parts were shipped out of state although the donor had stipulated that the body remain in Texas. Whether that happened with one or more bodies was unclear.

The agenda also states that Tyler was responsible for segmenting, or dismembering, bodies and preparing body parts for shipment.

Stobo said UTMB has ceased shipping bodies and body parts to other institutions and research facilities and probably will not resume shipments until all questions have been answered.

Records have been so poorly kept that officials have not yet determined the status of many body parts, according to the meeting agenda. It also states that some body parts shipped from UTMB at least since January have not been invoiced and others remain listed in inventories.

Stobo said he could not reveal details of the investigation because the U.S. attorney's office in Houston has told UTMB officials not to talk publicly about the case.

"We reported these irregularities," Stobo said. "The FBI and the U.S. attorney based in Houston got involved and told us about three or four weeks ago that they were going to come to the campus and look at what was going on here."

People who donate their bodies to science in Texas do so through the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas, designating the institution to which their bodies are bequeathed. Donors can choose whether they want their bodies shipped out of the state if they are not needed in Texas.

Stobo said UTMB officials will review the Willed Body Program in coming months and decide how it will be run in the future.

"Inherently, we think, it's a good program, but it has not been managed well," he said. "And for that, the university is embarrassed."

I know very little gossip about this. It does just dot the i on a "great" few weeks. Galveston can be so oblivious! Here's some ghoul selling body parts on the side for years, and no one knows?! Geesh. I did know the doctor who resigned and moved to Florida. Saw the Mrs. Doctor at the grocery store just before they moved. I doubt he was aware. Which strenghtens my point - this island is run by zombies!

Go back to sleep - there's nothing to see here, move along. Put down that body part and step away from your van.

Here is the text of the open letter of apology from the medical school's President, Dr. John Strobo:

http://www.utmb.edu/president/ openletterJuly12002.htm

Good, strong admission and apology:
--Our response to what has happened is to make no excuses, but to acknowledge it and try to make amends to the families of the donors in question. We are grateful for their family member’s gift. Without such generosity, the next generation of medical doctors and researchers cannot be properly trained.

Ya know, dead people are dead. If they willed their bodies to science, I doubt very much if they could have cared what happened to them later. Its not like medical school students treat them with great respect either. Its too bad about the families, but hey if you are the super sensitive type or your family is, don't give your body to science.

Galveston Daily News update:
http://galvestondailynews.com/ report.lasso?wcd=3086

--SNIP from the article --
UTMB has set up its pastoral care office to handle calls from family members of donors whose ashes might have been mingled, said Chris Comer, the hospital’s director of public affairs.

That program has made for at least one good ending.
Pat McCleskey called the hospital Tuesday after learning of the investigation. She was concerned because her mother had willed her body to the program before her death in January.

Pastoral care was able to locate her mother’s body and assure McCleskey that her mother’s was not one of the bodies involved.

“I’m just so grateful for all the time they put in,” McCleskey said.

UTMB officials asked that anyone who believes a loved one’s ashes might have been mixed with others’ ashes call the pastoral care program at (409) 772-3909.

Great game here Doc, OK: What part of Clintoon would you like to have on your mantle and how much would you pay?

Since he has sold his ass all over the world, I guess that is taken. I would like to have the teeth he bit Juanita Broadwick with and I would pay as much as an old Camero, say...$2,000.00

Forgive me Lord.

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