Pennsylvania Grave Robbery Suspect Accused of Hoarding Over 100 Human Remains

Key Points

• Pennsylvania man Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, is accused of stealing human remains from graves and mausoleums at historic Mount Moriah Cemetery.
• Investigators say more than 100 sets of human remains, including skulls, bones and mummified body parts, were found in his home and a storage unit.
• Gerlach faces more than 500 criminal charges, including abuse of a corpse, burglary, theft and desecration of historic burial places.

Yeadon (The Leeds Times) January 8, 2025 – Authorities in Pennsylvania say a months-long grave robbery investigation led to the discovery of more than 100 sets of human remains in the home and storage unit of a man accused of systematically plundering vaults and mausoleums at a historic cemetery on the edge of Philadelphia.

According to police and prosecutors, 34-year-old Jonathan Christ Gerlach from Ephrata, Lancaster County, is alleged to have targeted Mount Moriah Cemetery, which spans Southwest Philadelphia and the borough of Yeadon, breaking into above-ground mausoleums and underground vaults and removing human remains, some believed to date back more than a century.

What have police uncovered in the Pennsylvania grave robbery investigation?

Law enforcement officials say the case began with a series of burglary reports at Mount Moriah Cemetery in late 2024, involving forced entry to mausoleums and family vaults across the sprawling, partly abandoned grounds. Reporting by Mark Scolforo for the Associated Press states that officers conducting surveillance at the cemetery noticed bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car parked near the site, prompting them to detain the driver, later identified as Gerlach.

As reported by Mark Scolforo of The Associated Press, investigators later searched Gerlach’s home in Ephrata and a storage unit, where they found more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, decomposing torsos and other skeletal remains, along with items believed to have been taken from graves, such as clothing and jewellery.

How did investigators link the suspect to Mount Moriah Cemetery?

Police and prosecutors say the investigation intensified after repeated complaints from cemetery staff and neighbours about damaged vaults and suspicious activity among the old mausoleums. According to reporting by ABC and local Philadelphia outlet WPVI, detectives from Delaware County and Yeadon police set up a stakeout at Mount Moriah after at least two dozen mausoleums and vaults were found pried open between early November and late December.

Court documents cited by WPVI state that officers observed Gerlach returning to the cemetery and leaving with a burlap bag and a crowbar before they moved in to arrest him. When they searched the bag and his vehicle, they allegedly found the mummified remains of two small children, several skulls and additional bones. Gerlach is reported to have admitted to investigators that he had taken about 30 sets of human remains from the cemetery and showed officers specific grave sites he had targeted.

What details have emerged about the scale and nature of the remains found?

Authorities say that what began as a local burglary inquiry quickly expanded into a major investigation once search warrants were executed at Gerlach’s home and storage unit. Reporting by regional public broadcaster WHYY states that detectives discovered what one prosecutor described as a “horror movie come to life”, with more than 100 full or partial sets of remains recovered, including skulls carefully arranged on shelves and body parts in various states of preservation.

ABC-affiliated outlets in Philadelphia report that eight more intact corpses were discovered inside a rented storage locker linked to Gerlach, alongside additional skeletal material and ashes. Prosecutors say the remains are believed to include adults and infants, with some bones and skulls potentially taken from other cemeteries in the wider region, though identification work is ongoing and it is not yet clear how many burial grounds may have been affected.

What charges does Jonathan Christ Gerlach face and what is known about his alleged methods?

According to the Associated Press and local television reports, Gerlach has been charged with 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, as well as multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, desecrating a venerated object, desecrating a historic burial place, burglary, criminal trespass and theft. In total, one ABC report notes that he faces more than 500 criminal counts arising from the alleged grave robberies and the storage of human remains.

Investigators told reporters that the suspect appeared to have carried out a calculated, months-long series of break-ins at Mount Moriah, using tools such as crowbars and screwdrivers to force open heavy stone doors and metal coverings on mausoleums and underground family vaults. Local coverage by WPVI cites court records describing how some vaults were targeted repeatedly over several weeks, with family plots from the 1800s among those disturbed, and at least four underground vaults hit in a single day in December.

Police have also said they are examining potential evidence that human remains may have been offered for sale online. According to ABC reporting, investigators are reviewing activity on a Facebook group focused on the sale of human bones and skulls, where Gerlach was allegedly tagged and photographed holding a skull. Authorities have stressed, however, that they have not yet confirmed whether any remains were successfully sold or what the suspect’s precise motives may have been.

How have authorities and the community responded to the case?

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer and his staff have characterised the case as one of the most disturbing investigations their offices have handled. WHYY reports that Deputy District Attorney Douglas Rouse told a press conference that detectives had uncovered “the most literal sense of horrific” scenes at the Ephrata property and that officials were working to notify families who may be affected once identifications can be made.

Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco, quoted by ABC, called the situation one of the most unsettling he had encountered in his career in law enforcement. He said the alleged desecration had caused significant distress to relatives and to those who maintain the historic cemetery, emphasising that “rest in peace is rest in peace”, and that disturbing graves in this way “tears at your heartstrings”.

What are investigators doing next to identify victims and assess the wider impact?

Police, prosecutors and coroners now face the complex task of analysing and identifying the large number of remains seized during the investigation. CBS Philadelphia reports that the Lancaster County coroner’s office has taken custody of the bones and bodies recovered from Gerlach’s home and storage unit, and will work with specialists to determine, where possible, the age, origin and identity of each set of remains.

Authorities have said it may take considerable time to determine how many individuals are represented among the remains and whether all of them came from Mount Moriah Cemetery. Investigators are also examining historical cemetery records, family plot documentation and missing-remains reports to establish which graves have been disturbed, and whether any other burial grounds in Pennsylvania or neighbouring states were targeted.

Prosecutors have urged anyone with relatives buried at Mount Moriah, or anyone with information about potential grave tampering or the sale of human remains, to contact detectives. Police say the investigation remains active and that more charges could follow if additional evidence emerges linking the suspect to other cemeteries or to unlawful sales.

For now, Gerlach remains in custody on bail reportedly set at $1 million, while the extensive forensic and genealogical work needed to identify the dead and notify their descendants is only just beginning. Officials say restoring dignity to the disturbed remains and providing answers to affected families are central priorities as the case moves through the courts.