Better Business Bureau alert: Kansas autopsy firm receiving complaints from across the US

The Better Business Bureau serving Nebraska, South Dakota, the Kansas Plains and Southwest Iowa is issuing a nationwide warning about National Autopsy Services (NAS) and the company’s owner, Shawn Lynn Parcells – aka Professor Lynn and Dr. Shawn. 

Parcells promotes the company as a private firm that offers autopsies, forensic pathology and tissue recovery services. It has two addresses in Topeka, Kansas listed on its website.  A BBB investigation found that its corporate office address at 827 SW 3rd St is actually an attorney’s address. The other Topeka address is invalid, according to the Shawnee County Appraiser. There are 14 other addresses for this business on its website in other cities throughout the country. NAS is not located at any of them! Some are funeral homes, others are virtual offices or UPS stores, and one is a technical college in Fayetteville, NC.

BBB became aware of Parcells and NAS as complaints started coming in last April from consumers in multiple states that alleged paying thousands of dollars for autopsies to be completed and had not received the autopsy reports.  They also allege numerous attempts to contact the company and either getting no response and/or, if given a response, were told that a report is on the way. So far, complaints to BBB alone total over $16,000 in losses.

One complainant stated that she needed an autopsy and toxicology exam performed on her mother. She contacted NAS and paid $3,500. She was told that she would have the results in three months.  After waiting 18 months, she still had not received the reports, and the company has stopped taking her calls and has disconnected their phone.

Another consumer alleges that she had hired NAS to perform an autopsy on her daughter. The requested forms and payment were sent, and for the next five days Parcells made excuses about why he had not shown up to perform the autopsy. The mother needed it for proof that her child had been medically mistreated and poorly cared for.  Unfortunately, she had to proceed with the burial without any information about the exact cause of death. “Thanks to this company,” she said, “all I have proof of is that this company left me hurting and questioning.”

BBB also received a complaint in February of this year from an individual alleging that they are still waiting for the results of an autopsy performed on their mother in June, 2018.  The complainant states that they paid $3600 for this service and cannot believe the insensitivity of this company knowing how important this matter is to them and their family.

It is not clear if Shawn Parcells has actually received any advanced educational degrees, even though the website of NAS states, “Pathologists with this business are ‘board certified’ by the American Board of Pathology.” BBB has confirmed that Shawn Parcells is not listed as a board certified physician on the American Board of Pathology’s (ABP) website.

Additionally, there is nothing in Parcells’ background to indicate that he even attended a medical school. He has admitted that he is not a physician and has performed autopsies without a doctor present.

On March 22nd, Shawn Parcells was arrested by authorities in Kansas and charged with theft, criminal desecration for botching autopsies and perpetrating fraud on over 20 families across the country. Many victims said they paid Parcells for autopsies that were never completed.

Last week, the judge in Wabaunsee County, Kansas issued an order that Parcells cannot perform any autopsies during the investigation. His next court appearance will be on April 9th.