Pennsylvania investigators are confronting a macabre case they describe as a 'horror movie come to life', warning it could take years to identify scores of stolen human remains, including centuries-old bones and those of tiny infants.
A Grisly Discovery in a Basement
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, Lancaster County, was arrested on January 6 following a months-long probe into break-ins at the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon. He now faces more than 500 criminal charges.
Authorities allege that between early November and late December 2023, Gerlach ransacked approximately 26 mausoleums and underground vaults at the cemetery, which dates from 1855 and is Pennsylvania's largest. Police say he used crowbars, ropes, and ladders to descend into the vaults and pry open caskets.
The investigation led to a chilling discovery at Gerlach's three-story home and a rented storage unit. Human skulls, long bones, mummified feet, decomposing torsos, and at least one corpse with a pacemaker were allegedly found, organised by bone type in his basement.
The Long Road to Identification
Detective Leah Cesanek of Yeadon Police, who led the multi-agency probe, exclusively told the Daily Mail that the identification process will be 'slow' and complex. 'We want to get these poor people back to their final resting places,' she said. 'But it's going to take quite a bit of time. It would be a fair bet to say years.'
The vast number and varying ages of the remains—some centuries old, others belonging to infants—present a monumental forensic challenge. Cesanek explained that each bone must be identified and matched. Investigators are working to trace living family members, with the ultimate goal of obtaining DNA samples, a process coroners estimate could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Staff from four coroners' offices were drafted in to photograph and collate the remains before moving them to a secure storage facility.
Social Media and the Shadowy Trade in Remains
The case has thrown a spotlight on the legal but controversial trade in human body parts. Gerlach was allegedly linked to disturbing social media accounts where he posed with skulls and advertised remains for sale.
He was a member of Facebook's 'Human Bones and Skull selling group' and ran an Instagram account under the username 'deads**tdaddy', claiming to be a 'curator of specimens'. Many posts were captioned as 'ethically sourced'.
One man who bought a skull from Gerlach told the Daily Mail he believed he was dealing with a legitimate dealer, paying between $1,000 and $2,000 for a human 'teen' skull and two animal skulls. 'I was really shocked when this occurred,' he said.
While buying and selling human remains is legal in most US states, including Pennsylvania, provided they are ethically sourced, this case has reignited debate. Experts like Jon Pichaya Ferry of Brooklyn's Bones museum warn that 'bad actors' threaten legitimate educational and preservation work and could provoke snap legislation banning the trade.
Building the Case and Facing Justice
Police were first alerted by a tip-off in December from a friend of Gerlach's brother, who reported seeing a partially decomposed body displayed in the suspect's basement. Gerlach allegedly told his brother he had been 'in Chicago selling a human skull'.
Investigators linked Gerlach to the cemetery through vehicle and phone records, and he was arrested in a sting operation as he left Mount Moriah carrying a crowbar and a burlap bag containing the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls, and other bones.
He allegedly cooperated with police, showing them the graves he stole from and admitting to taking around 30 sets of remains. When asked about his motive, Detective Cesanek said Gerlach only stated 'he realized what he was doing was wrong' but did not explain why he did it.
Gerlach is charged with:
- 100 counts of abuse of a corpse
- 100 counts of receiving stolen property
- Multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, burglary, trespassing, and theft
He is being held on a $1 million bond. His public defender has declined to comment, and his next court date is scheduled for March 13.
