A US man faces over 500 charges after police uncovered a shocking cache of more than 100 human skeletal remains in his home.
Graverobbing Terror at Pennsylvania Cemetery
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, was busted on January 6 following a month-long probe into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. Since November, police say, at least 26 mausoleums and vaults were forced open.
Gerlach was caught walking to his car carrying a crowbar and burlap bag containing mummified remains of two small children, three skulls, and assorted bones.
House of Horrors Uncovered
Officers found bones and skulls visible in a car near the cemetery, leading them to Gerlach’s basement, stacked with grisly trophies. Over 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos, and other skeletal fragments were discovered in his Ephrata home.
“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life,” said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse. “This was an unbelievable scene. Some remains were hanging, some pieced together, others just skulls on a shelf.”
Jewellery linked to grave sites was also seized. In one chilling find, a pacemaker was still attached to a skeleton.
Social Media Bone Trade Investigation
Police revealed Gerlach admitted to stealing around 30 sets of remains, even pointing out graves he looted. They are probing a Facebook group titled “Human Bones and Skull Selling Group” where Gerlach was tagged holding a skull, plus an Instagram account filled with over 100 skull photos captioned for sale.
It remains unclear if any body parts were sold or what Gerlach’s motivation was.
The Charges and Police Response
Gerlach faces 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, plus multiple charges of desecration, burglary, trespassing, and theft. He is held on a $1 million bond.
The Yeadon Borough Police Department said:
“This was a horrific crime that deeply impacted our community. We thank Detective Leah Cesanek and all involved for their dedication. The investigation is ongoing as more locations are searched for additional remains. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
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