Florida Woman Arrested for Selling Human Bones on Facebook Marketplace

Skulls, Ribs, and Ancient Bones Listed as “Educational Models”

Some U.S. states and other countries legally allow the sale of human bones for educational purposes; Facebook Marketplace has been a major hub for underground human bone trading despite platform bans. Real human skulls are often priced at $1,200–$2,500 online, depending on condition and age.Representative Image: Pexels

Published on:

15 Apr 2025, 4:30 am

A Florida woman is at the center of a strange and horrifying Facebook Marketplace case selling human bones, including skull pieces, ribs, and spines.

The 52-year-old suspect, Kymberlee Schopper, was arrested after authorities found that she was selling and purchasing human remains from her company, Wicked Wonderland, in Orange City, Florida.

Shocking discovery

The investigation was launched on Dec. 21, 2023, after Orange City police received a tip from an unknown person. The tipster posted images that apparently represented actual human bones being advertised on Wicked Wonderland's Facebook account.

Authorities quickly seized the store, located on North Volusia Avenue. A review of the business’s website revealed a startling collection of items for sale, including two pieces of a human skull, a rib, a collarbone, a scapula, a vertebra, and even a partial skull.

“We’ve been doing this for years.”

When police came to the store, one of the owners, later revealed to be a Schopper, informed them that the store had been selling human bones for years. The owner clarified that all the bones were acquired from private sellers and claimed to have documentation for each purchase, though they could not produce it during the visit.

She confirmed that the store had multiple human bone fragments, all purchased from private sellers, and mentioned she has documentation for these transactions but could not provide it at that moment. She described the bones as genuine human remains and delicate in nature.

The Arrest Affidavit

Schopper insisted that the bones were "genuine human remains" and highlighted their fragile, brittle nature. He also asserted that the products were marketed as "educational models," which he thinks is legally acceptable under Florida law.

zoom in on a picture of skulls covered in a red color

India has historically been a major supplier of human skeletons for medical institutions worldwide. In 2016, Indian police busted a ring in West Bengal smuggling human bones stolen from graves. The skeletons were often sold to buyers in Bangladesh, Nepal, and even the U.S. for use in medical education. One complete human skeleton could fetch $1,500–$3,000 on the international black market.Representative Image: Pexels

Legal Trouble and Ancient Origins

In spite of his assertions, Schopper was charged with unlawful sale and purchase of human tissue, a felony offense under federal and state law. She was arrested on April 11 and subsequently released on a $7,500 bond.

What made the case even stranger was the condition and origin of the bones. Specialists who analyzed the remains found that some of the fragments are potentially archaeological in character. One skull piece is over 100 years old, and a different bone is over 500 years old.

A legal and ethical gray area?

The case draws attention to a multifaceted legal environment for the sale of human remains. Whereas some states permit the sale of human bones for scientific or educational purposes, others prohibit the same outright.

In the course of the investigation, authorities are making efforts to identify the full scope of Schopper's operations and whether or not any laws regarding the trafficking of human remains were broken.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)

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