Man Found 3 Severed Heads at Desk After Complaining About ‘Deplorable’ Work Conditions

Dale Wheatley said he discovered three severed heads at his desk after complaining about his job at a company that distributes body parts.

Chicago Tribune via Getty Images

Transportation coordinator Dale Wheatley said that he found three severed heads left next to his desk after he complained about the conditions of bodies donated to the company he works at, Anatomical Gift Association, in Chicago.

Per People, Wheatley filed a police report when he discovered three heads in a storage tub by his desk, which he said was in retaliation to complaints he made about his job. "At first I was confused," Wheatley said. "My boss walked by, and I asked him why the heads were at my desk. He said they need to get back with their bodies so we can send them to cremation."

During his five years at the job, he had never seen body parts placed by his desk. The human remains are typically supposed to be kept in designated storage areas, where they are kept until they are sent to medical schools for students to use. When the parts are used by medical students, they are returned and cremated so the ashes can be returned to families. "I asked him why they were at my desk," Wheatley added. "And he said, 'I don't know Dale, there's a lot of strange things going on.'"

The 37-year-old Wheatley said that he also recently found smoldering sage in the company's office, which he took as an indication that he was an "evil spirit" that needed "warding off." The month prior to the discovery of the heads, Wheatley said he complained that some donated bodies were not being handled properly, resulting in rotting. In some instances, rats chewed on several cadavers after breaking through storage bags.

During a press conference this week, Wheatley said that donors had been sent back because of mold, rot, and bugs. "It's deplorable," he said. "This job has severely weighed on me over the years."

Per the Chicago Tribune, the executive vice president of the Anatomical Gift Association denied Wheatley's claims but acknowledged that some bodies arrive at the facility "twisted" or "emaciated." “We accept every donor,” he said. “And we make a commitment to the donor that their bodies will be studied.”

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