Employees at Stor Keeper Self Storage in Honolulu uncovered decomposing body parts in a storage unit after the tenant went into default for non-payment. The human tissue was being kept in a freezer.
Facility staff entered the unit to conduct an inventory after the tenant, Bryan Avery, CEO of the Hawaii Institute of Anatomy, became 90 days past due on his rent. When facility owner Christopher Ulu called Avery about the freezer, Avery told him human tissue was stored inside. Ulu called police, who later opened the freezer, which had a horrible odor. The body parts were later identified by the medical examiners office as belonging to two individuals.
According to police, this isnt the first time Avery has been reported for storing human tissue. Cadavers were discovered last year in a freezer on property on Sand Island Access Road. Avery said the landowner was aware the cadavers were present. The bodies were returned to the medical examiners office.
According to the Hawai'i State Department of Health, Averys license as a mortuary provider expired more than a year ago. He also has a pending fine for possessing bodies without a death certificate.
No charges are expected to be filed, police said.
The Hawaii Institute of Anatomy offers post-graduate level gross human anatomy courses to healthcare professionals including chiropractors and massage, athletic and physical therapists. Avery has been teaching gross human anatomy since 1987.
Sources:
- KHON2: Human Remains Recovered From Storage Locker
- The Hawaii Institute of Anatomy Website: The Hawaii Institute of Anatomy Website
