Crimes Below the Belt II: Beheaded
The Nuts and Bolts
On March 23, 2006 Haywood County deputies received an anonymous tip that unlicensed castrations were being conducted at the house, which led to a search warrant and an investigation of the house. During the search, police confiscated DVDs depicting Sciara in the dungeon performing his handiwork on an operating table, one procedure including the removal of a man's penis and the rerouting of his urethra. Items confiscated included new and used scalpels, sutures, syringes, local anesthesia, catheters, an electric shock paddle, a book called The Handbook of Pain Management, sadomasochistic DVDs and three computers, among other pieces of evidence. By far the most alarming discovery was that made in the kitchen freezer of Tupperware containers containing frozen human testicles.
Not surprisingly, the three men were promptly arrested for the mutilations that would make many grown men cross their legs in fear. However, Sheriff Alexander III of Haywood County stated to the surprise of many, the men didn't think they actually had done anything wrong though they admitted their actions, FOX Carolina's Jamie Guirola reported. The men believed that since the mutilations had been conducted on consenting adults, their behavior had not been illegal. However, according to North Carolina law, penis and testes removal is illegal if not performed by a qualified licensed doctor.
Even though none of the men were licensed to practice medicine, at least one did have medical training. Investigators discovered while compiling evidence that Sciara worked for 23 years at the Topeka, Kan., Colmery-O'Neil Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he learned first hand how to perform castrations by observing the surgical procedure, performed mostly on cancer patients. It was training he took seriously and applied to his entire life, as he clearly indicated on his website, writing, "This is NOT a game with me, I live this lifestyle," Harriet Ryan reported for Court TV.
Center in Topeka, Kan
Each of the three men faced ten felony counts and eight misdemeanor counts, for mutilation, criminal castration and performing operations without a license. They were held on $150,000 bond in a Haywood County jail while awaiting trial. The trial was initially scheduled to begin in the summer of 2006, but it took a year before the men had their day in court.