Body of accused killer donated to science

The family of accused killer and kidnapper Adam Mayes, who was placed on the FBI's "10 Most Wanted" list, has sent his body to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where students will use it for research and educational purposes, officials said.

Mayes' body had been with the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office since early May, when he killed himself. The body was picked up from there and delivered to the university's forensic department on Thursday, said Mark Golding, medical examiner in Union County, Mississippi.

Mayes' body will not be identifiable to students because each body is assigned a number, according to William Bass, a retired professor at the school.

Authorities allege that Mayes, 35, killed Jo Ann Bain, 31, and her eldest daughter, 14-year-old Adrienne, on April 27 at their home in Whiteville, Tennessee. He then abducted Bain's younger daughters, 12-year-old Alexandria and 8-year-old Kyliyah, who were missing for two weeks. After being cornered in Mississippi by authorities, Mayes shot himself in the head and died. The girls survived.

Both his mother, Mary Frances Mayes, and ex-wife, Teresa Ann Mayes, are accused of helping Mayes. His ex-wife is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of especially aggravating kidnapping. His mother faces charges of especially aggravating kidnapping and conspiracy to commit especially aggravated kidnapping.