Pennsylvania Man Arrested After More Than 100 Skulls, Mummified Parts Found in Home, Storage Unit
Authorities arrested 34-year-old Jonathan Gerlach after finding over 100 skulls and other human remains in his Ephrata home and storage unit, linked to break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery.
Overview
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, was arrested after surveillance and tip links showed his vehicle near Mount Moriah Cemetery during a string of mausoleum burglaries dating from early November to January.
Police found more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and infant remains in Gerlach's Ephrata home, car and a storage unit.
Gerlach allegedly forced open at least 26 mausoleums and underground vaults at Mount Moriah Cemetery, an 1855 site in Yeadon with an estimated 150,000 graves, according to Friends of Mount Moriah.
He faces more than 300 to 500 charges, including 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, desecration, burglary, trespassing and theft; bail was set at $1 million.
Investigators are working to identify victims, link jewelry and pacemaker evidence to graves, and determine whether Gerlach sold any remains; DNA and fingerprint analysis is ongoing.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story through sensational, police-driven crime coverage: editorial choices foreground graphic details (skulls, ‘mummified hands,’ decomposing torsos) and prioritize law-enforcement quotes, while offering no suspect defense or broader context about cemetery security. Those quoted lines are source content; the cumulative selection and ordering create a prosecutorial, shock-focused narrative.
Sources (10)
FAQ
According to Yeadon Borough police, Jonathan Christian Gerlach has been charged with multiple offenses including burglary, criminal trespass, abuse of corpse, theft, and desecration of venerated objects, totaling several hundred counts across these categories.
Investigators used surveillance footage, forensic evidence, and observations of Gerlach returning to Mount Moriah Cemetery; court documents state that on January 6 officers saw him leave the cemetery with a burlap bag and crowbar and later observed bones and skulls in his vehicle, and he allegedly admitted to stealing around 30 sets of remains from the cemetery.
Police and court records indicate that at least 26 mausoleums and underground vaults at Mount Moriah Cemetery were forced open or damaged during the months-long series of burglaries attributed to Gerlach.
Authorities reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos, infant remains, and associated items such as jewelry and medical devices in Gerlach’s home, car, and a storage unit.
Investigators are conducting DNA and fingerprint analysis, comparing jewelry and medical devices like pacemakers to cemetery records, and working with Mount Moriah Cemetery caretakers and families to match disturbed crypts and missing remains to the recovered bones.
History
3 sources