Individual Apprehended for Pilfering Over 100 Human Remains from Cemetery

Post by : Mina Rahman

The discovery of bones and skulls in a vehicle near an abandoned cemetery in Pennsylvania initiated a police investigation that uncovered a basement replete with human remains. Authorities have charged a man with the theft of around 100 sets of human bones.

This arrest was part of a protracted investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults were forcibly accessed since November. Law enforcement searched the residence and storage unit of 34-year-old Jonathan Christ Gerlach, revealing a trove that included over 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposed torsos, along with various other skeletal fragments.

Officials indicated that some of the remains were draped or assembled, while others were simply skulls arranged on shelves. Additional bones were discovered alongside jewelry believed to have been appropriated from the graves. In an unusual case, a pacemaker remained affixed to one of the body parts.

Gerlach allegedly targeted mausoleums and subterranean vaults within the sprawling 160-acre Mount Moriah Cemetery, estimated to house about 150,000 graves. The site has been plagued by numerous burglaries, with damages to stonework and forced openings of vaults to reach older interments.

The investigation intensified as officers traced Gerlach’s activities, revealing he was frequently near the cemetery during the thefts. He was detained while returning to his vehicle, equipped with a crowbar and a burlap sack that contained the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls, and various bones.

Gerlach admitted to pilfering approximately 30 sets of remains and guided authorities to the graves from which he had stolen. The motives behind this large-scale theft remain uncertain as the inquiry proceeds.

He is charged with 100 counts each of corpse abuse and possession of stolen property, in addition to charges of desecrating public monuments and burial sites, burglary, trespassing, and theft. Gerlach is currently being held on a bond of $1 million.