Newspaper: UCLA Officials Were Told of Abuses in Cadaver Program in '03

Newspaper: UCLA Officials Were Told of Abuses in Cadaver Program in '03

NewsMax.com Wires
Tuesday, March 16, 2004

LOS ANGELES – High-ranking officials of the University of California system were told last year of potential abuses in UCLA's body parts program, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

State health inspectors in February 2003 warned university officials about the possible misuse of bodies donated to UCLA and about Ernest V. Nelson, a dealer in body parts, the paper reported, citing correspondence released by the state Department of Health Services.

Henry Reid, director of UCLA's Willed Body Program, which makes donated bodies available for medical education and research, and Nelson, not a university employee, were arrested earlier this month for investigation of dealing in stolen body parts. Both men were released after posting bail.

State investigators became suspicious of Nelson after receiving tips that he had kept the bodies in his garage and falsely claiming they had had been screened for infectious diseases.

Nelson "may be misrepresenting an association with the University of California," Tom Tempske, a laboratory examiner with the department, wrote to UC officials in February 2003.

Tempske also wanted to know if Nelson "now or ever has obtained" cadaver parts from any of the university system's programs.

That initial inquiry prompted a meeting with university officials and state investigators weeks later.

University of California officials said they questioned Reid about his relationship with Nelson. They said Reid had promised to recover the parts given to Nelson.

'Double Agent'

"The basic problem is that we essentially had a double agent working against us," Lavonne Luquis, a UC system spokeswoman, said Monday, referring to Reid. "He was saying, 'I'm going to deal with this.'"

UCLA officials now allege that Reid sold body parts to Nelson, who resold them to corporations for a profit.

Search warrant documents show that Keith Lewis, another employee of the UCLA program who is on leave and has not been accused of a crime, told university attorneys that he received money for helping Nelson cut up cadavers, the newspaper said.

Lewis said he had once prepared 10 heads for Nelson and twice received $1,000 to $2,000, according to UCLA police.

Lewis declined to comment to the Times.