Pennsylvania authorities say they uncovered a “house of horrors” after arresting a man accused of stealing human remains from cemeteries and keeping them in his home and a storage unit, including the remains of children and infants.
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, has been charged with hundreds of criminal counts after investigators said they recovered more than 100 sets of human remains from his residence, vehicle and a nearby storage locker. Prosecutors allege many of the remains were taken from Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon and Philadelphia.
“This was detectives walking into a horror movie come to life,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said, describing the discovery as “truly horrific.”
Gerlach was arrested during surveillance at the cemetery after investigators allegedly found him carrying a burlap bag containing human remains believed to have been taken from about 30 graves. Searches of his Ephrata home later uncovered human skulls, large bones, grave jewelry, and decomposing remains. Police said some bodies were found hanging inside the house, while eight additional skeletons were recovered from a storage unit.
Authorities believe some of the remains date back decades or even centuries, making identification difficult. Investigators are working to determine the origins of the remains and to notify families where possible.
Police are also investigating whether Gerlach sold human remains online and are examining a possible connection to a Facebook group allegedly used to trade bones.
Neighbors near Cobbs Creek Park said they had noticed disturbed graves for months. One resident said open and damaged burial sites had raised suspicions of grave robbing well before the arrest.
Gerlach faces more than 450 charges, including burglary, abuse of a corpse, criminal trespass and theft. He is being held at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility on $1 million bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and that it remains unclear how long the alleged grave robbing continued or whether other cemeteries may also have been targeted.
