Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Life Imitates a Property Law Issue-Spotting Exam:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_30-2007_10_06.shtml#1191523165
[1]The Greenville News reports:
[John Wood's] leg was amputated near the knee three years ago after
a plane crash that killed his father, and Wood said he kept the leg
so that it could be cremated with him when he dies.
After the plane crash, Wood said he fell on hard times and all his
possessions were put into a Maiden Plaza Mini Storage building. He
said he wrapped the embalmed leg in paper and put it in a small
smoker.
Whisnant bought the smoker at the mini-warehouse auction, not
knowing what was inside, and took it home.... [When he realized
what it was,] he decided to get rid of the leg [by passing it along
to the funeral home, which gave it to the police; the police in
turn returned it to Wood] ....
When word got out about the leg, Shannon Whisnant said he saw how
much interest people had in it and saw a chance to take advantage
of the publicity. He had already charged admission to see just the
smoker, $3 for adults, $1 for children....
Whisnant called the leg "a hell of a conversation piece" and
offered Wood split custody of it. Whisnant said he planned on
"writing some books and doing some movies." ...
[Earlier in the article:] "I'm considering all options at this
point," Whisnant said. "You can't take a mattress full of cash from
a man who bought it and has a receipt for it and give it to
somebody else. I bought it."
However, police said Whisnant already gave up the leg when he
called 911 and told dispatchers he was "grossed out" and wanted to
get rid of it....
Thanks to Jim Dedman for the pointer.
References
1.
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/NEWS01/710040319/1001/
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