CRIME

BBB issues warning about private coroner

Brianna Childers bchilders@cjonline.com
The Better Business Bureau issued a nationwide warning Wednesday regarding private coroner Shawn Parcells. [Shawnee County Jail]

The Better Business Bureau issued a nationwide warning Wednesday about private coroner Shawn Lynn Parcells, who has been temporarily banned from conducting autopsies in Kansas.

Following a court order issued March 25, Parcells was banned from conducting autopsies, forensic pathology and tissue recovery in Kansas.

Parcells was arrested and booked into jail March 22 in Topeka in connection with charges of theft and criminal desecration. He was released on bond later that day.

Parcells operates Topeka-based National Autopsy Services.

The Kansas Attorney General's Office is pursuing a civil lawsuit alleging Parcells violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act and Kansas False Claims Act.

BBB said Parcells promotes National Autopsy Services as a "private firm that offers autopsies, forensic pathology and tissue recovery services."

The Better Business Bureau said it became aware of Parcells and his company in April 2018 when complaints started coming in from consumers in multiple states.

The complaints alleged that the consumers had paid thousands of dollars for autopsies to be completed but hadn't received autopsy reports.

BBB said the complaints also alleged that consumers had tried to contact National Autopsy Services several times and either got no response or, if they did get a response, they were told a report was on its way.

The dollar amount attached to the complaints received by BBB is $16,000.

BBB said one complainant contacted Parcell's company for an autopsy and paid $3,500. The woman was told she would receive autopsy reports in three months, but 18 months later still hadn't received the reports.

BBB said National Autopsy Services stopped taking the woman's calls and disconnected its phone.

Another complainant told BBB she contacted the company to perform an autopsy on her daughter. She needed to know whether her daughter had been medically mistreated and poorly cared for.

BBB said the woman sent payments to Parcell's company and Parcell made excuses about why he hadn't shown up to perform the autopsy.

BBB said it was able to confirm that Parcell isn't listed as a board-certified physician on the American Board of Pathology's website.

There is also no indication that Parcell attended medical school, and he has admitted he isn't a physician and has performed autopsies without a doctor present, BBB said.