FBI probes into human parts case in Thailand

[webfact]

FBI probes into human parts case in Thailand

WASHINGTON: -- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigators are now trying to determine whether any laws were broken by two American tourists who the Thai police said tried to ship preserved human parts from Thailand to Las Vegas.

FBI spokeswoman Bridget Pappas said Monday that investigators are aware that Ryan McPherson and Daniel Tanner were questioned after Bangkok police confiscated the three packages labeled “toys.”

Thai police said they contained body parts including an infant’s skull, a baby’s toes, an adult heart, tattooed skin.

The 31-year-old McPherson and 33-year-old Tanner were released by the Thai police after they considered human parts were just medical parts and found no law to take action against the two.

They claimed to have bought the parts from a night market for 100 US dollars.

Both were reported to have left Thailand via the Srakaew border checkpoint to Cambodia’s Poi Pet border town.

But Thai police immediately sought arrest of both when Siriraj hospital lodged complaint with the police that the human parts that both Americans tried to ship were in fact stolen from its museum which displays preserved human parts.

Video footages clearly showed the two Americans entering the museum and snatching the parts.

Bangkok police say McPherson told them he thought the items were bizarre and wanted to send them to “surprise” friends back home.

FBI spokeswoman said efforts to reach family members or representatives in the Las Vegas area have been unsuccessful.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/fbi-probes-human-parts-case-thailand


-- Thai PBS 2014-11-18

[webfact]

STOLEN BODY PARTS
Americans previously in trouble at home for online movies


File photo : McPherson and Tanner

BANGKOK: -- Two Americans at the heart of attempted smuggling of body parts are notorious movie makers who had produced a series of online videos in which they paid homeless people to fight each other for money.

Ryan McPherson and Daniel Tanner were questioned over the weekend in Bangkok for their alleged involvement in sending body parts to Las Vegas. McPherson told police that he bought the items from a market but could not remember where.

The two claimed the body parts were meant to be a prank being pulled on a friend in Las Vegas. DHL's xray found the body parts, which included the limbs of a dead baby and human skin in boxes, the contents of which were identified as "toys." Both were released after Thai police failed to press charges.

Both fled to Cambodia while police said he promised to return to Bangkok for further questioning on the matter.

The US media has reported that both Americans were involved in the controversial "Bumfights" video in which homeless people were paid to fight each other for money. One of the homeless men in the video was even paid to have "Bumfights" tattooed across his forehead. The videos were then sold over the Internet. Coconut Bangkok online reports that hundreds of thousands of copies were sold online for about US$19.99.

McPherson was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to 280 hours of community service at a homeless shelter following the release of the film "Bumfights Vol 1 - Cause For Concern".

In 2006, the filmmakers agreed to not make any more of the Bumfights films and paid three of the homeless men involved in the videos as part of an out of court settlement. The men were attempting to sue the filmmakers for emotional and physical damages in connection with the Bumfights videos.

A doctor at Siriraj Hospital has confirmed that the body parts were stolen from the hospital's medical museum. Video footage showed both Americans visited the museum and police are investigating whether they stole the items or hired someone to do the job for them.

Thai police are cooperating with Interpol and the FBI to find information about the recipient's address in Las Vegas.

Coconut Bangkok online also reported that the packages containing the body parts were sent to Shoot to Kill Media Inc., McPherson's media company.

On its website the company says it was started in 2007 and became an "innovator for nightclub visual content and event coverage before exploding on the scene as a full service commercial and musicvideo production company."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Americans-previously-in-trouble-at-home-for-online-30248019.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-18

[Strangebrew]

ROFLMAO Idiots for cops I would have held pending valid proof of purchase. Now these guys will get away with theft, transportation of body parts, without proper doc's Falsifying Shipping paperwork. And that just Federal level then you got Nevada laws to deal with No import permit. These guys are in Deep chit. But wave a few baht under a cops nose and wham bam your out of here. Explain that one flat foot.

[transam]

Low life that need a real good look at, go for it....................

[Commerce]

Shame the FBI were not so interested in another high-profile case.... yet the murdered were not American citizens. That would have been an altogether different story, from day 1 !

[transam]

Shame the FBI were not so interested in another high-profile case.... yet the murdered were not American citizens. That would have been an altogether different story, from day 1 !

Which story..?

[IamNoone88]

From film makers to a double disappearing act!

[ratcatcher]

Some weirdos out there.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bumfights-creators-flee-thailand-after-arrest-posting-babys-head-body-parts-us-1475211

[NamKAheng]

2 world class tourists

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

They probably in "The Pit" right about now getting their visa card maxed out before getting the VIP car to siemreap. Then another bribe to fly to Malaysia

[xtof2]

Another 2 brainless dick heads

[spectrumisgreen]

Bizarre? I'd say if you want to see bizarre just look into the mirror and try to work out the look in your own eyes and the stupid grin that goes with thinking some baby's (or any other body parts, stolen or not!) would be a pretty funny thing to send your friends back home.. hey why not even get drunken homeless guys to fight each other and video it?... the 'brains' involved in all this are already 'pickled' I reckon!.. any chance of putting 'em on display?

[deesquared]

Nicely done to the Thai-Visa member who correctly identified these two as the founders of YouTube's "Bum fights." I see now that TMZ has picked up the story.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/11/17/bumfights-creators-infant-body-parts-arrested-thailand/

[Suradit69]

ROFLMAO Idiots for cops I would have held pending valid proof of purchase. Now these guys will get away with theft, transportation of body parts, without proper doc's Falsifying Shipping paperwork. And that just Federal level then you got Nevada laws to deal with No import permit. These guys are in Deep chit. But wave a few baht under a cops nose and wham bam your out of here. Explain that one flat foot.

"And that just Federal level then you got Nevada laws to deal with No import permit. These guys are in Deep chit. But wave a few baht under a cops nose and wham bam your out of here."

What does (imagined) US Federal law or the law in Nevada have to do with anything the police in Thailand do. The parts were, rightly or wrongly, considered medical display items and it wasn't until the hospital said the parts had been stolen that there was any justification found to arrest them.

As disgusting as it may be, most colleges and museums (and circus sideshows) have pickled bodied parts or stillborn infants on display.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigators are now trying to determine whether any laws were broken ...

The FBI is looking to see if any laws were broken, but you've already got ahead of them with a string of US federal and state violations, even though the parcels apparently never got anywhere near the US.

Not defending the two idiots or that anyone would find body parts something entertaining to look at, but being stupid or ghoulish is not against the law and there's no evidence the body parts were originally obtained illegally.

If they were stolen from the hospital and these two bought stolen goods and attempted to (most likely) violate export laws, that may or may not warrant them being arrested, but can you imagine all the hyperbolic comments here at TV if these two were jailed while the police tried to find a reason to charge them and they would most likely have been eligible to be bailed out anyway?

Idiots they may be, but this doesn't qualify as some major international incident nor is there any reason (aside from your highly excitable imagination) to believe they bribed anyone when they had not been charged with anything.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Suradit69

[Seashore]

Bye, Bye American Pie! You won't see them back.

[transam]

ROFLMAO Idiots for cops I would have held pending valid proof of purchase. Now these guys will get away with theft, transportation of body parts, without proper doc's Falsifying Shipping paperwork. And that just Federal level then you got Nevada laws to deal with No import permit. These guys are in Deep chit. But wave a few baht under a cops nose and wham bam your out of here. Explain that one flat foot.

"And that just Federal level then you got Nevada laws to deal with No import permit. These guys are in Deep chit. But wave a few baht under a cops nose and wham bam your out of here."

What does (imagined) US Federal law or the law in Nevada have to do with anything the police in Thailand do. The parts were, rightly or wrongly, considered medical display items and it wasn't until the hospital said the parts had been stolen that there was any justification found to arrest them.

As disgusting as it may be, most colleges and museums have pickled bodied parts or still born infants on display.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigators are now trying to determine whether any laws were broken ...

The FBI is looking to see if any laws were broken, but you've already got ahead of them with a string of US federal and state violations, even though the parcels apparently never got anywhere near the US.

Not defending the two idiots or that anyone would find body parts something entertaining to look at, but being stupid is not against the law and there's no evidence the body parts were originally obtained illegally.

If they were stolen from the hospital and these two bought stolen goods and attempted to (most likely) violate export laws, that may or may not warrant them being arrested, but can you imaginary all the hyperbolic comments here if these two were jailed while the police tried to find a reason to charge them and they would most likely have been eligible to be bailed out anyway?

Idiots they may be, but this doesn't qualify as some major international incident nor is there any reason (aside from your highly excitable imagination) to believe they bribed anyone when they had not been charged with anything.

They ain't idiots, they knew what they were doing to make cash...............A single tap will for sure show them the error of their cash making ways and enterprise for their life..............

[Minnehaha]

Nicely done to the Thai-Visa member who correctly identified these two as the founders of YouTube's "Bum fights." I see now that TMZ has picked up the story.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/11/17/bumfights-creators-infant-body-parts-arrested-thailand/

I second that.

I was surprised when those TV member(s) identified McPherson from the picture.

I never heard of Bumfights and now that I looked on Youtube I wish it were still true.

These guys did some sick sh*t and now are likely thieves of a medical museum - stealing human body parts.

I don't get it.

[Miksu]

Again a perfect example of these so called quality tourists! B'cos quality==$$$!

[Jim walker]

A right pair of thieving sick creeps now creeping in Cambodia this pair would be better locked up before they resort to worse than posting preserved body parts for fun but possibly fresh ones.

[klauskunkel]

Video footages clearly showed the two Americans entering the museum and snatching the parts.

Video footage showed both Americans visited the museum and police are investigating whether they stole the items or hired someone to do the job for them.

Since the video footage clearly showed that the two Americans snatched the parts, the BiB can now make an educated guess whether they stole the items themselves, or hired someone to do it. After the guess work is done, the BiB can continue to dig their collective noses and plan what to do with the associated money that has been paid. Burp!

[NextStationBangkok]

Another good example of Thai Super police adventure. They got the guys red handed, and allowed them go on bail to Cambodia, and now they are searching for culprits. What a mess....

Thailand should open FBI, Scotland Yard franchise here to investigate the cases.

[transam]

Another good example of Thai Super police adventure. They got the guys red handed, and allowed them go on bail to Cambodia, and now they are searching for culprits. What a mess....

Thailand should open FBI, Scotland Yard franchise here to investigate the cases.

LOS ain't interested in solving anything..................If stuff don't enter THEIR world it don't matter....

[RTH10260]

ROFLMAO Idiots for cops I would have held pending valid proof of purchase. Now these guys will get away with theft, transportation of body parts, without proper doc's Falsifying Shipping paperwork. And that just Federal level then you got Nevada laws to deal with No import permit. These guys are in Deep chit. But wave a few baht under a cops nose and wham bam your out of here. Explain that one flat foot.

"Valid proof" for a assumed deal at a night market? 55555

And your reference to potential law and regulations broken in the USA is void as no stuff ever left the LOS.

[RTH10260]

Another good example of Thai Super police adventure. They got the guys red handed, and allowed them go on bail to Cambodia, and now they are searching for culprits. What a mess....

Thailand should open FBI, Scotland Yard franchise here to investigate the cases.

Buying stuff at a night market is in itself not a crime, though the warez in this case were a tad unusual to be found there. No reason to keep the guys behind bars. If not, the US embassy may have had a word to say. The hospital only turned up with a delay.

[Colabamumbai]

Only in Thailand.

[restart67]

I am more than certain that these two boys are NOT enjoying their time in Cambodia and are in fact, glued to any access of Internet that they can get to be filled in on the breaking story. I'm also certain that they are preparing to return back to the USA in any means available. What will wait for them there will surely be interesting.

[razer]

Very SICK people. Seems like these people will eventually kill for pleasure. Hope they are taken off the streets one way or the other.

[BestBitterPhuket]

The police officers who let them go, should be investigated AND lose their jobs.

But I guess the Junta wants to keep such "quality" policemen.

[expatsupreme]

night market lol, next time somebody will buy baby skull in tesco on nut

[junk1e]

It would appear whatever police do there will always be knockers on this page. Had they been arrested no doubt would have been howls of protest. Give the police credit FGS. Unusual case but they were arrested and questioned and no Thai Law had been broken so were released. Correct action. Later it turns up that they were stolen from a hospital museum. Police at least checked and found they had already left the country. No doubt FBI will await their return home.