FBI raid of Bullitt County home finds 40 human skulls, spinal cords used as decoration | Crime Reports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Bullitt County man was arrested Tuesday after FBI agents found dozens of skulls and other human remains in his Mt. Washington home.

The FBI obtained an arrest warrant for James Nott after an investigation started last year. Court documents show Nott, 39, purchased humans remains online using the alias “William Burke.” Law enforcement viewed Nott’s public Facebook page, which included posts about human remains for sale as recently as June 2023. 

A Pennsylvania man, Jeremy Pauley, was selling the human remains, including organs and skin, from his home. Pauley purchased the remains, which included hearts, brains, lungs and two fetal specimens, through Facebook Messenger from Candace Chapman, a mortician in Arkansas. Pauley sold and transported with a network of people, including Nott.

The FBI executed a search warrant Tuesday at the home in the 300 block of Love Avenue. Nott was the only person in the apartment, but when an FBI agent asked if anyone else was there, he responded, “only my dead friends.”

During the search, FBI agents found about 40 human skulls, spinal cords, femurs and hip bones. The skulls were decorated and around furniture in the apartment. One of the skulls had a head scarf around it, while another was on Nott’s bed. 

FBI agents also found an AK-47 with loaded magazines, dummy grenades, two plates of body armor and a loaded .38 special revolver.

Neighbors told WDRB News that Nott was considered a loner who kept to himself. Based on the amount of guns the FBI says Nott possessed, they consider themselves lucky nothing worse happened.

Nott was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for felony violations including possession of an unregistered destructive device and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of marijuana.

Nott made his initial appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. He remains in federal custody and is being housed in the Oldham County Detention Center.

If convicted, Nott could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

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