A Pennsylvania man is facing hundreds of criminal charges after investigators say they discovered more than 100 sets of human remains in his home and storage unit following a series of grave robberies near Philadelphia.
Police identified the suspect as 34-year-old Jonathan Christ Gerlach. Authorities say the investigation began after repeated break-ins were reported at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, a large and mostly abandoned burial ground on the outskirts of Philadelphia.
According to investigators, at least 26 mausoleums and underground vaults had been forced open since early November. Many of the damaged graves contained older burials.
The case took a turn when officers noticed bones and skulls visible inside Gerlach’s car near the cemetery. He was later arrested as he walked back toward his vehicle carrying a crowbar and a burlap bag. Inside the bag, police said, were mummified remains of two children, along with several skulls and other bones.
Searches of Gerlach’s home in Ephrata and a storage unit uncovered what authorities described as a large collection of human remains. Investigators said they found skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos, and other skeletal material. Some remains were reportedly displayed or stored on shelves, while others were kept in containers. Jewelry believed to have come from graves was also recovered, and in one case a pacemaker was still attached to a body.
Officials said the remains appeared to be in different stages of preservation, with some believed to be more than a century old and others much more recent.
Gerlach reportedly told investigators he had taken about 30 sets of remains and showed them some of the graves he had targeted. Authorities now believe the actual number of remains in his possession may be much higher and that some could have come from other cemeteries in the region.
Prosecutors said the motive is still unclear, and they are investigating whether any remains were sold or traded.
According to a local report by WGAL, Gerlach has been charged with more than 500 offenses, including burglary, abuse of a corpse, theft, receiving stolen property, and desecration of burial sites and public monuments. He is being held on $1 million bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 20.
Police say the process of identifying the remains and notifying families could take a long time. The investigation is ongoing.
