PA Man Stole Corpses to Fund Online Bone Trade

January 15, 2026

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A Pennsylvania man has admitted to a months-long scheme of stealing human remains from historic graves and selling them on an online black market. Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, faces over 500 charges after police discovered more than 100 human skulls and multiple corpses in his home and storage unit, exposing a disturbing and largely unregulated underground trade in human body parts.

Story Highlights

Jonathan Gerlach, 34, faces over 500 charges for stealing remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery
Police found more than 100 skulls and eight corpses at his home and storage unit
He admitted selling human remains online through social media groups and apps
Investigation reveals organized grave robbing operation spanning multiple months

Discovery Exposes Underground Trade

Jonathan Gerlach of Ephrata faces more than 500 criminal charges after police discovered over 100 human skulls, multiple corpses, and other remains at his residence and storage facility. Delaware County authorities arrested him on January 6, 2026, after surveillance footage showed him leaving Mount Moriah Cemetery with a burlap bag and crowbar. Court documents reveal he admitted to stealing approximately 30 sets of remains from the historic cemetery and confessed to selling some online.

The investigation began when a tipster contacted Lancaster City Police on December 23, 2025, reporting they had seen a “partially decomposed corpse” hanging in Gerlach’s basement. The informant also flagged his Instagram account, which showed connections to bone collecting communities, and mentioned his alleged trip to Chicago to sell a human skull. This tip triggered intensive surveillance that ultimately led to his arrest.

Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, is accused of stealing more than 100 skeletons from Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. https://t.co/jqHv6DJfBw

— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) January 9, 2026

Methodical Cemetery Burglary Operation

Police allege Gerlach burglarized at least 26 mausoleums and underground vaults at Mount Moriah Cemetery between November and December 2025. Court documents describe how he rappelled into 10-foot-deep mausoleums using rope and carabiners, then used crowbars to pry open burial vaults. The targeted remains included century-old bodies from family plots belonging to the Slack, Ogden, McCullough, Louber, Campbell, Ziegler, Hasson, and Charlton families.

Search warrants executed at Gerlach’s Ephrata home on January 7 uncovered a house of horrors. Police found more than 100 human skulls, numerous long bones, mummified hands and feet, and two decomposing torsos stored in the basement. His fiancée directed investigators to a storage unit, where cadaver dogs alerted to eight additional corpses, body parts, cremated remains, and grave jewelry.

A man accused of stealing dozens of human remains …

Online Human Remains Marketplace Exposed

Court documents reveal Gerlach’s participation in Facebook groups dedicated to selling human bones and skulls, exposing a disturbing online marketplace for human remains. Investigators found evidence linking him to a “Human Bones and Skull selling group” and discovered references to items including a “human skin bag.” Police also identified a Cash App account with a skull profile picture connected to his activities.

This case highlights the largely unregulated online trade in human remains, where social media platforms and payment processors inadvertently facilitate illegal commerce. The discovery raises serious questions about oversight of these digital marketplaces and the ease with which criminals can monetize grave desecration. Gerlach is currently held on $1 million bail in Delaware County Prison, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for January 20, 2026.

Watch the report: Alleged grave robber admits to selling stolen human remains found in home: warrant