After being tipped off by a concerned Facebook user, police found skull fragments, a rib and even a human vertebrae listed for sale on a Florida business' online maketplace
A co-owner of a mysterious business selling "oddities, curiosities and unusual art" has been accused of using Facebook Marketplace to sell something far more sinister - human bones.
Investigators say they found Florida woman Kymberlee Schopper had listed 'Two human skull fragments' for $90 and a human rib for $35.
The 52-year-old, from Volusia County, was arrested and charged with the purchase or sale of human organs and tissue, according to court records.
She co-owns Wicked Wonderland, a shop in Orange City sells "oddities, curiosities and unusual art," according to their website. They also offer "preservation services," which includes mummification and skeletal cleaning.
The affidavit states that the Orange City Police Department has been investigating the case since 2023 after being alerted by someone claiming they were selling human bones.
The shop's co-owner and daughter to Schopper, Ashley Lelesi, 33, allegedly told police the shop had been selling human remains for several years but was unaware that was illegal.
"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," the affidavit says. "She described the bones as genuine human remains and delicate in nature."
Wicked Wonderland’s website says the owners are "a mother and daughter team." The description continues: "Having both come from a medical background we have a passion for sharing our knowledge and expertise in the preservation and exploration of anatomy and pathology of all organic beings."
A statement on Wicked Wonderland's Facebook page reads: "We'd like to take a moment to clear up some recent misconceptions:
"Wicked Wonderland is currently temporarily closed due to dedicating our time to the care of a beloved family member in their final moments. Absolutely nothing more.
"While there may be a whirlwind of misguiding information and horrendous assumptions and opinions, we're choosing to focus on what we always have:
"Life, love, death and Family."
After digging into it, police say they found six items for sales totalling $850. These were two human skull fragments ($90 total), human clavicle and scapula ($90), human rib ($35), human vertebrae ($35) and a partial human skull ($600).
Investigators recovered five of the remains but one of the skull fragments had already been sold for $50, according to the affidavit.
When police returned, they say Schopper tried to claim the remains were educational models which can be sold legally in Florida. The affidavit claims the women were upset they weren't able to reclaim the bones that were held in evidence.
Dr. Jonathan D. Bethard examined the remains at the University of South Florida's Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Laboratory on request of the police. He found the bones were most likely from two people, and carbon dating suggested one is hundreds of years old.
Schopper was released Friday from Volusia County Jail on a $7,500 bond. Mirror.com has contacted Facebook for comment.
