Police in Pennsylvania have uncovered a disturbing basement hoard containing more than a hundred human skulls and other body parts, following the arrest of a man suspected of stealing remains from an abandoned cemetery.
The Grisly Discovery in a Car and Basement
The investigation began when officers discovered bones and skulls in the back seat of a car near the Mount Moriah Cemetery on the outskirts of Philadelphia. This led them to search the home and a storage unit belonging to Jonathan Christ Gerlach, a 34-year-old from Ephrata.
Authorities reported finding a macabre collection in his basement, including over 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos, and various other skeletal items. Jewellery believed to be taken from graves was also recovered, and in one instance, a pacemaker was still attached to remains.
"They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together, some were just skulls on a shelf," said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse.
A Month-Long Spree of Cemetery Break-Ins
Gerlach's arrest on Tuesday night concluded a month-long probe into a series of burglaries at the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery, which was established in 1855. Officers stated that at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forcibly opened since early November.
The cemetery, considered the country's largest abandoned burial ground with an estimated 150,000 graves, was repeatedly targeted. Police linked Gerlach to the crimes after an investigator checked his vehicle licence plates and found he had been near the Yeadon site frequently during the period of the break-ins.
He was apprehended as he walked back to his car carrying a crowbar and a burlap bag. Inside the bag, officers found the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls, and other bones.
Charges and an Unclear Motive
According to police, Gerlach confessed to taking approximately 30 sets of human remains and even showed investigators the specific graves he had robbed. However, the total haul discovered suggests a much larger number of thefts.
"Given the enormity of what we are looking at and the sheer, utter lack of reasonable explanation, it’s difficult to say right now, at this juncture, exactly what took place. We’re trying to figure it out," District Attorney Rouse told reporters.
Gerlach now faces a staggering list of charges, including 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property. He is also charged with multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, desecrating a venerated object, desecrating a historic burial place, burglary, trespassing, and theft.
He is currently being held in jail on a $1 million bond. No defence lawyer was listed in the initial court records, and a message seeking comment sent to a mobile phone linked to him was not returned.
