Dental News - Snatcher of dental gold from dead stands trial

Daniel Zimmermann, DTI

Thu. 1 March 2012

save

LONGMONT, Colo., USA: Unlike in the 19th century, body snatching has become a rare phenomenon. Now a man working in several Colorado mortuaries is facing felony charges for stealing bits of gold worth thousands of dollars from the recently deceased and selling to pawnbrokers, news sources in the U.S. have reported.

According to police officials, the 43-year-old suspect turned himself in after investigators searched his house and found a bag containing teeth believed to be taken from corpses. They also said that the father of eight allegedly sold teeth containing bits of the precious metal at least 17 times at various pawnbrokers in the area from May until November last year.

In total, he is believed to have gained more than $4,000 from his gruesome sales.

The man has denied the charges, saying that he only took teeth that were to be thrown away by the mortuaries at which he worked. Meanwhile, a jury has indicted him for providing false information — he provided a false address to the pawnbrokers.

Earlier this month, another man was charged with stealing dental gold worth $15,000 from the Washington dental lab where he worked.

The price of gold and other precious metals has exploded in recent years. Currently, traders pay more than $1,700 for an ounce of gold.

To post a reply please login or register

New brush head helps you ‘get hold of oral health’

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif, USA: Procter & Gamble (P&G) had quite a bit of news to share with the media during the recent ADA annual session, and Dental ...

Reflecting on oral-health’s good old iodine days

While anxiously waiting for the “Downton Abbey” television series to start up again, I got my English history fix by reading the history of ...

Blazing a trail of clinical excellence

Amongst the plethora of advancements in the orthodontic space today (and there are many), digital technology has to be the most polarizing, disruptive and ...

Good leaders lead; great leaders know when to follow

In business, it is often said that what got you to where you are today won’t keep you there. As you well know, being an excellent clinician requires ...

Koelbl appointed dean of new College of Dental Medicine at University of New England

PORTLAND, MAINE: University of New England (UNE) President Danielle N. Ripich, PhD, has announced the appointment of the new Dean of the College of Dental ...

Video from NCOHF raises awareness of pediatric dental disease

NEW YORK, USA: To help raise awareness of the fight against pediatric dental disease, National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s ...

Forward Science licenses cold sore drug from EPI Health

HOUSTON, Texas, USA: Forward Science and EPI Health, a wholly owned subsidiary from EPI Group, have entered into an exclusive agreement licensing Sitavig to...

Dean of new US dental school resigns over expenses charges

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: Students and staff of America’s newest dental school at the East Carolina University have been shocked by the sudden resignation ...

Maximum precision and perfect handling with special edition Artex CR Gold from Amann Girrbach

KOBLACH, Austria: The key to a perfect restoration result is flawless model management. Amann Girrbach offers specifically developed and perfectly ...

Carestream Dental to hold Dental Summit

ATLANTA, Ga., USA: Registration is now open for Carestream Dental’s newly revamped Dental Summit. The summit helps doctors and staff elevate their ...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 31 July 2026
12:00 PM EST (New York)