Head, liver mistakenly mailed to horrified Michigan couple

Last Updated: Monday, March 5, 2007 | 10:16 AM ET

CBC News

An errant shipment of human body parts from China, destined for a U.S. laboratory, went mistakenly to the doorstep of a horrified Michigan couple on Thursday as a result of a delivery slip-up.

'He started [opening] the second one, but stopped as soon as we saw the ear.'—Ludivine Larmande

Franck Larmande discovered the error when he plunged his hands into the first of two packages labelled in Chinese and found a bubble-wrapped liver. Box No. 2 contained a partial human head.

"He started [opening] the second one, but stopped as soon as we saw the ear," Franck's wife, Ludivine, told the Grand Rapids Press newspaper.

"Something wasn't right. It was scary and I'm glad I didn't open them."

According to the report, Franck remarked to his wife upon unsealing the first item: "This is strange, it looks like a liver."

The couple then called the Kent County Sheriff's office.

The Larmandes, who live in Cascade Township near Grand Rapids, may not be the only family to receive a surprise delivery of human cargo.

Other missing parcels containing up to 28 preserved organs meant for medical research may have been dispersed across the United States, authorities said.

"There will definitely be a shock to people if they see these things but there is no hazard to health," Kent County police spokesman Lt. Roger Parent said.

Delivery company DHL, which made the drop-off, said it was not immediately clear what happened, but it is co-operating with investigators.

A DHL express driver reportedly believed the bubble-wrapped items were pieces of a table.

Company spokesman Robert Mints said DHL is looking into whether employees should have shipped the body parts in the first place, and is trying to trace the deliveries to determine how they were dispersed.

"We certainly handle medical specimens and we're trying to determine if the items shipped were permissible," Mints said.

Officials have asked the public to contact local police if they come in contact with the bubble-wrapped specimens.