Organ Theft Legends

Starting with the legend known as “The Kidney Heist,” we embark on a conversation about the realities of organ trafficking. In this legend, a man meets a woman at a bar and accompanies her to her hotel room, only to wake up missing his kidneys. What’s the truth behind this legend? Along the way we cover everything from cattle mutilations, the definition of life, and the fact that you really CAN buy everything on Craig’s List.

Sources:

Brickwood, Becky. 2020. “Forced Organ Harvesting: ‘This Is Beyond Understanding.’” Health Europa (blog). January 27, 2020. https://www.healtheuropa.eu/forced-organ-harvesting-this-is-beyond-understanding/96933/.

Campion-Vincent, Véronique. 2002. “Organ Theft Narratives as Medical and Social Critique.” Journal of Folklore Research 39 (1): 33–50.

Coffman, Keith. 2020. “Colorado Funeral Home Operators Indicted for Illegally Selling Body Parts.” Reuters, March 18, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-bodies-idUSKBN21509C.

Kish, Phillip. 2018. “Mother of Model Whose Body Was Found without Organs Still Seeks Answers.” Wusa9.Com. December 28, 2018. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/mother-of-model-whose-body-was-found-without-organs-still-seeks-answers/507-625177206.

Smith, Saphora. 2019. “China Forcefully Harvests Organs from Detainees, Tribunal Concludes.” NBC News. June 18, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-forcefully-harvests-organs-detainees-tribunal-concludes-n1018646.

Staff, DecodingScience. 2019. “Organ Harvesting, Human Trafficking, and the Black Market.” Decoded Science (blog). November 12, 2019. https://decodedscience.org/organ-harvesting-human-trafficking-and-the-black-market/.

Thompson, Don. 2015. “NorCal Inmate Was Cut Nearly in Two, Organs Missing.” KCRA. July 11, 2015. https://www.kcra.com/article/norcal-inmate-was-cut-nearly-in-two-organs-missing/6423766.

Sex Trafficking Legends Part 2 Crimelore

In the second part of our discussion of sex-trafficking legends we discuss some actual rumored and documented cases of sex trafficking, Susana Trimarco–a mother fighting back against sex traffickers, and how legends about sex trafficking interact with these actual case in contemporary culture. National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline (USA) 1-888-373-7888Polaris Project has resources for Trafficking victims. Sources:Anne. 2020. “Stop the Spread of Fake News: No One Is Sex Trafficking You at Target.” Iowa City Moms.  https://iowacity.momcollective.com/2020/02/08/stop-the-spread-of-fake-news-no-one-is-sex-trafficking-you-at-target/. Barron, Alexis. 2019. “Letty Serrano Was Abducted And Trafficked For Sex At 13; Two Years Later She Committed Suicide.” Mitu. https://wearemitu.com/things-that-matter/human-slavery-is-alive-and-well-letty-serrano-committed-suicide-two-years-after-being-rescued-from-sex-traffickers/. BBC News. 2013. “Argentina Convicts 10 in Marita Veron Sex Trafficking Case,.  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-25429736. Buenos Aires Times. 2018. “32 Years after Her Kidnapping, Argentine Woman Rescued in Bolivia,” December 26. https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/32-years-after-her-kidnapping-argentine-woman-rescued-in-bolivia.phtml. Chiaramonte, Perry. 2019. “Houston Teen Takes Own Life after Surviving Sex-Trafficking Ring,.” Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/houston-teen-takes-own-life-sex-trafficking-ring-ongoing-epidemic. “Corinna Paige Slusser–Charley Project.” https://charleyproject.org/case/corinna-paige-slusser. “FBI Informant Speaks with News10NBC; Says He Witnessed Brittanee Drexel’s Murder.” 2019. WHEC-TV. https://www.whec.com/news/fbi-informant-speaks-with-news10nbc-says-he-witnessed-brittanee-drexels-murder/5260439/. Jackson, Angie. 2018. “Man Named in Brittanee Drexel Investigation to Be Released on House Arrest.” Post and Courier. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/man-named-in-brittanee-drexel-investigation-to-be-released-on/article_f97655aa-9fc4-11e8-b719-e3e542ec89c4.html. Johnson, Scott C. 2012. “Argentina’s Susana Trimarco: One Mother’s Fight Against Human Trafficking.” Newsweek, https://www.newsweek.com/argentinas-susana-trimarco-one-mothers-fight-against-human-trafficking-65407. Lahman, Sean. 2019. “Jailhouse Informant in Brittanee Drexel Disappearance Files Lawsuit.” Democrat and Chronicle,  https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/02/28/brittanee-drexel-jailhouse-informant-lawsuit/3015000002/. Pasqualini, Kym L. 2020. “The Reality of Sex Trafficking in the US: Corinna Slosser Missing.” Medium. https://kympasqualini.medium.com/the-reality-of-sex-trafficking-in-the-us-corinna-slosser-missing-74e617cbd2dc. Recklein, Courtney M. 2020. “The Strange and Unsolved Disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley.” Film Daily. https://filmdaily.co/news/amy-lynn-bradley/. Roy, Anusha. 2017. “Read This before You Share That Viral Facebook Post about Ross.” KUSA.Com. https://www.9news.com/article/news/verify/read-this-before-you-share-that-viral-facebook-post-about-ross/73-455672734. “R/UnresolvedMysteries: On the 4th of March 1998, 11-Year-Old Rui Pedro from Portugal Disappears near His Mother’s Workplace. 3 Years Later, His Photo Is Found on the Database of Wonderland Club, a Child Pornography Ring. This Is the Last Anyone Saw of Him.” n.d. Reddit.  https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/9iiawr/on_the_4th_of_march_1998_11yearold_rui_pedro_from/. Staver, Anna. 2017. “Do Child Sex Traffickers Look for Victims at the Store?” KUSA.Com, https://www.9news.com/article/news/verify/verify-do-child-sex-traffickers-look-for-victims-at-the-store/73-455918970. 
  1. Sex Trafficking Legends Part 2
  2. Sex Trafficking Legends Part 1
  3. The Boyfriend's Death
  4. Is Crime a Laughing Matter?
  5. Organ Theft Legends

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