Adam Mayes' body arrives at university's 'body farm' - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

Adam Mayes' body arrives at university's 'body farm'

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KNOXVILLE, TN -

(WMC-TV) – The body of suspected killer Adam Mayes is now at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and it will be used for science.

The body was delivered to the university's body farm overnight.

Investigators say Adam Mayes killed Jo Ann and Adrienne Bain as part of his plan to kidnap Alexandria and Kyliyah Bain. He held them captive for two weeks.

Mayes shot and killed himself in the woods in Union County, Mississippi.

His family would not claim his body.

"It could've come back onto my county if no one would claim him," said Union County Coroner Mark Golding.

From her jail cell, Mayes' wife, Teresa, signed the paperwork to send the body to UT Knoxville's Forensic Anthropology Center.

While the body farm declined to comment, the former Shelby County medical examiner offered insight as to what could come next.

"From the forensic world, nothing is unworthy of study," said O.C. Smith. "Nothing is off limits as far as what type of body and what type of environment it can be studied in and they have a tremendous amount of graduate students working on these issues."

Regardless of how it is used on the farm, Mayes' body will provide scientists with a better understanding of death and decomposition.

"You have to sit there, you have to look at it and take it apart and watch it happen. That's why although this was a very tragic incident, this is probably the best use for this person's body to serve mankind," said Smith.

After taking away so much, Mayes will rot on the farm for science.

"He can go on for research and education and maybe a bad thing, after a bad thing has happened maybe something good can come of it," said Union County Coroner Mark Golding.

Golding says the body farm was full but it agreed to accept the body anyway.

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