Jonathan Gerlach, a 34-year-old man from Pennsylvania, has been arrested and charged with stealing over 100 skulls following a disturbing discovery in a house. The police found bones, mummified body parts, decomposing torsos, and skeleton fragments, describing the scene as reminiscent of a horror movie.
Authorities uncovered the macabre collection in Gerlach’s basement and a separate storage unit. The suspect faces more than 500 charges for violating gravesites and mausoleums after a string of break-ins at the Mount Moriah Cemetery near Philadelphia.
According to Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse, the recovered remains included skulls and bones of individuals of different ages, including children as young as a few months old when they passed away. Law enforcement officers believe Gerlach specifically targeted the vast cemetery, where approximately 150,000 people have been laid to rest.
Rouse expressed shock at the gruesome sight, mentioning that some remains were centuries old while others were more recent. Detectives are working to identify the individuals associated with the bones and determine the total number recovered.
In addition to the bones, authorities found jewelry believed to be connected to the cemetery and even discovered a body with a pacemaker. Rouse conveyed sympathy for families potentially affected by the situation, particularly those with infants among the remains.
Gerlach was apprehended as he left the cemetery with a crowbar, prompting his arrest. The investigation began around Halloween when multiple mausoleums and vaults at the cemetery were found forcibly opened. Court records show that Gerlach faces charges ranging from theft and abuse of a corpse to desecration of a historic burial place and public monument.