Bones for Sale: Florida Woman’s Macabre Facebook Marketplace Arrest Sparks Legal and Ethical Debate
In a case that muddies the distinction between the grotesque and the legal, 52-year-old Kymberlee Anne Schopper of Orange City, Florida, has been arrested for allegedly trafficking human remains through her store, Wicked Wonderland, and Facebook Marketplace. Schopper’s online advertisements—including human skulls sold two for $90, vertebrae, and ribs—have sparked a firestorm of controversy, calling into question the legality, ethics, and regulation of online sales. Her defense? A professed ignorance of the law. This strange tale lays bare the seedy underbelly of a specialist market and tests societal mores regarding the handling of human remains.
The Case: From Curiosity to Criminal Charges
The probe of Schopper started when law enforcement, following a tip from suspicious online postings, found several Facebook Marketplace listings selling human bones. Police served a search warrant on Wicked Wonderland, a strange store popular for oddities and occult trinkets, where police recovered more than 20 human bones, including skulls and spinal columns. Schopper allegedly obtained these remains from online auction sites and personal sellers, restocking them to resell between $35 per vertebra to $90 per two skulls.
Detectives traced her online posts to a web of purchasers, including collectors, self-styled “biohackers,” and fans of the macabre. Schopper’s shop dealt in a specialist market, but her Facebook Marketplace ads reached further, into a wider, unaware public, and some of those people reported her to the authorities. She currently stands to be charged with felony offenses for selling human tissue against Florida’s tough laws on treating human remains.
Legal Landscape: Why Selling Bones Is a Crime
Florida Statute §872.02 plainly forbids the “unlawful disposition of human remains,” making it a crime to sell or donate body parts without authorization. There are exceptions for medical facilities, accredited researchers, and licensed funeral establishments, but Schopper’s business venture is well beyond those. She could be sent to prison for up to five years and fined more than $10,000 if convicted.
It exposes a mosaic of U.S. laws that cover human remains. Although states such as Louisiana and Georgia have comparable bans, others, including Tennessee, allow private possession of human remains if obtained lawfully (i.e., via estate sales or antique stores). Abroad, the UK and Australia have tighter controls, imposing permits for ownership. Legal professionals contend that Schopper’s defense of ignorance is unlikely to prevail, given that Florida’s legislation is explicit—and prosecutors will have no trouble highlighting her intentional commodification of bodies.
Ethical Quandaries: Profiting from the Dead
Above law, the case compels an accounting for moral challenges. To whom does a body belong once it is dead? Are human remains commodities or do they have a right to respect? Bioethicists such as Harvard’s Bioethics Center’s Dr. Elizabeth Harmon emphasize that selling body parts commodifies human dignity. “These remains had once belonged to living people,” she says. “Their sale threatens to victimize the vulnerable, including oppressed communities whose graves have long been robbed for money.
Schopper’s supporters maintain that the sale of “osteological specimens” is an age-old tradition, with collectors appreciating bones for art, education, or religious reasons. However, critics retort that today’s standards call for openness: Were these remains donated voluntarily, or removed from unmarked graves? The source of Schopper’s inventory remains unclear, further raising ethical issues.
Public Outcry and Social Media’s Role
The listing has become a viral sensation, with people responding anywhere from morbid fascination to outrage. On Facebook, people were surprised that such items could be sold openly. “I report bogus handbags, but human skulls fell through the cracks? ” wrote one Floridian. Facebook’s commerce rules specifically prohibit the sale of human body parts, but Schopper’s postings evaded moderators for months, sparking questions about the platform’s ability to police its content.
A Meta spokesperson said, “We take down violating material as soon as we know about it and are working with authorities.”Orange City residents meanwhile call Wicked Wonderland an “odd but harmless” store. “She sold crystals and taxidermy—I never thought about real human bones,” said one neighbor. Others call for greater scrutiny: “If you can’t sell a kidney on the internet, why a skull?”
Historical Echoes: From Grave Robbers to Modern Markets
Schopper’s case resonates with a dark history of body trafficking. In the 19th century, “resurrectionists” dug up corpses for medical schools, a practice immortalized in literature such as Frankenstein. Nowadays, there exists a legal (though morally problematic) market on the go, driven by anatomical providers and internet sites. Notorious scandals, such as the 2022 Harvard Medical School suit involving stolen human remains, expose systemic failures to trace provenance.
Dr. Carlina De La Cruz, a forensic anthropologist, comments, “Most buyers don’t ask questions. But without documentation, these bones could be stolen—or even linked to unsolved crimes.”
Schopper’s Defense: Ignorance or Willful Negligence?
Schopper’s case resonates with a dark history of body trafficking. In the 19th century, “resurrectionists” dug up corpses for medical schools, a practice immortalized in literature such as Frankenstein. Nowadays, there exists a legal (though morally problematic) market on the go, driven by anatomical providers and internet sites. Notorious scandals, such as the 2022 Harvard Medical School suit involving stolen human remains, expose systemic failures to trace provenance.
Dr. Carlina De La Cruz, a forensic anthropologist, comments, “Most buyers don’t ask questions. But without documentation, these bones could be stolen—or even linked to unsolved crimes.”
A Call for Clarity and Compassion
Kymberlee Schopper’s case highlights the conflict between subcultural practices and legal limits. As global marketplaces expand niche trades, regulators are increasingly pressed to clarify legislation and improve enforcement. For the public, the experience is a sobering reminder: Behind each bone is a human story, worthy of dignity even in death.
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