A Pennsylvania man has been charged following the discovery of more than 100 human skulls and other skeletal remains, in a case that has shocked authorities and the local community.
The remains were found at the home and a storage unit owned by Jonathan Gerlach, 34, along with numerous long bones, mummified hands and feet, decomposing torsos, and other skeletal items. “They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, some pieced together, and some were just skulls on a shelf,” said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse.
The investigation began after a series of break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, a suburb of Philadelphia. Police allege that Gerlach targeted mausoleums and underground vaults across the 160-acre site, which contains approximately 150,000 graves.
In addition to the human remains, authorities recovered jewellery believed to have been taken from the graves. In one instance, a pacemaker was reportedly still attached to the body. Many of the stolen remains were decades or even centuries old.
Officials say the break-ins focused on older burials, with mausoleums and vaults smashed or damaged to access the remains. Gerlach was arrested on Tuesday while returning to his car carrying a crowbar and a bag containing the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls, and additional bones.
Court documents show Gerlach faces 300 charges, including theft, receiving stolen property, and abuse of a corpse. He is also charged with numerous counts of desecrating public monuments, venerated objects, and historic burial sites. Gerlach reportedly admitted to stealing around 30 sets of human remains from Mount Moriah.
The investigation came to light after board members of a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the cemetery notified authorities about the desecrations, according to Yeadon Mayor Rohan Hepkins.
The case continues to unfold as law enforcement works to determine the full scope of the alleged crimes and trace the provenance of all recovered remains.
