U.S. investigators are trying to determine whether any laws were broken by two American tourists – former San Diegans who produced the controversial “Bumfights” films – who police say tried to ship preserved human parts from Thailand to Las Vegas.
FBI spokeswoman Bridget Pappas said Monday that investigators are aware that Ryan McPherson and Daniel Tanner were questioned after Bangkok police confiscated the three packages labeled "toys."
Police say they contained body parts including an infant's head, a baby's foot and an adult heart.
The 31-year-old McPherson and 33-year-old Tanner were released. They left Thailand on Sunday and couldn't be reached for comment.
Bangkok police say McPherson told them he thought the items were bizarre and wanted to send them to friends back home.
Efforts to reach family members or representatives in the Las Vegas area have been unsuccessful.
McPherson and Tanner rose to notoriety in the early 2000s when they paid San Diego transients to fight each other. The duo filmed the violent acts for entertainment and sold thousands of copies of the “Bumfights” movies online, garnering millions of dollars.
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McPherson, Tanner and fellow producers Zack Bubeck and Michael J. Slyman were later charged with felonies for making the video tapes. They pleaded down to misdemeanors in 2003 and were sentenced to probation and community service at a homeless shelter.
Two years later, McPherson was sentenced to about six months in jail for failing to complete that service.
