Man sentenced for stealing human brains, other human tissues from museum

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry announced today that David Charles has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for breaking into the Indiana Medical History Museum to steal jars of human brain tissue and other human tissues. Investigators also found evidence on Charles’ Facebook page that showed he was selling brains.

Police later discovered that in addition to taking the jars of tissue, Charles took other artifacts including antique surgical instruments, a casket, a skeleton and an operating table.

The IMPD Latent Print division determined that the print was consistent with the left pinkie finger of Charles.

Charles was arrested in December 2013 after a man who bought six jars of brain material for £400 on eBay tracked the items to the museum, which led authorities to Charles.

Police said that Rector, a middle man, had obtained the brain matter from Charles, and arrested him during a night raid in a parking lot were Rector had arranged to meet him.

Charles had sold the items to a third party who had in turn sold them to the San Diego man, who matched the items he bought to those stolen from the museum based on research he did online.

David Charles stole jars of human tissue from the building – which was once a hospital for the insane – which he later sold on the internet.

He was also ordered, unsurprisingly, to stay away from the museum.

According to the AP, Charles pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to four years in jail, with three years suspended.