A man from Pennsylvania has been taken into custody for allegedly stealing numerous bones, skulls, and other human remains from a historic cemetery.
Authorities in Delaware County, Pennsylvania have pressed more than 500 criminal charges against Jonathan Christian Gerlach, aged 34, accusing him of pilfering over 100 human remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery, some of which date back over 200 years. The arrest of Gerlach on Tuesday followed an extensive investigation into grave robbing at the cemetery, which covers an expansive area exceeding 200 acres.
Law enforcement officials apprehended Gerlach in the act as he was looting a burial site, where he was found with a burlap bag containing the remains of two young children, three skulls, and other bones. Subsequent searches of his residence and a nearby storage unit revealed over 100 skeletal remains, along with an additional eight sets of remains. Gerlach had been unlawfully entering mausoleums and underground vaults, as disclosed by the police.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse described the situation as resembling a real-life horror movie, stating that the scene was unprecedented and shocking for everyone involved. He highlighted the challenging task of identifying the remains, particularly due to the varying ages of the bones, with some being over a century old and others more recent. Notably, some remains still had pacemakers attached to them.
Yeadon Borough Police Chief Henry Giammarco expressed the profound impact of the case, describing it as one of the most harrowing incidents in his 30-year career. He emphasized the emotional toll of discovering an infant’s remains, underscoring the importance of respecting the deceased.
A visitor to Mount Moriah, Kristy Cole, shared her emotional response, citing anger and sadness over the disrespectful treatment of individuals postmortem, including her great-grandparents buried at the cemetery.
Authorities are now investigating Gerlach’s online presence, particularly his involvement in a Facebook group titled “Human Bones and Skull Selling Group,” where he allegedly shared images posing with a skull. Reports suggest that buyers on this platform thanked Gerlach for sending them human remains, including those of a possible teenager, a baboon, and a monkey. Additionally, an Instagram account under the username deadshitdaddy showcased similar images and hinted at the sale of bones.
Gerlach is currently held on a $1 million bail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for January 20 in Delaware County. The charges against him amount to 574, including offenses such as abuse of a corpse, theft, intentional desecration of a public monument, and burglary.