By Harshit
YEADON, PENNSYLVANIA, JAN. 10, 2026 —
A grisly discovery on the outskirts of Philadelphia has led to the arrest of a 34-year-old man accused of stealing and hoarding roughly 100 sets of human remains from one of the nation’s largest abandoned cemeteries, authorities said.
The investigation began when police spotted bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a vehicle parked near Mount Moriah Cemetery, a sprawling 160-acre burial ground founded in 1855. What followed, prosecutors say, was the uncovering of a monthslong pattern of grave desecration and a basement filled with human body parts.
Arrest Follows Cemetery Break-Ins
According to police, at least 26 mausoleums and underground vaults at Mount Moriah had been forcibly opened since early November. Stonework was smashed and sealed burial chambers breached, largely targeting older graves.
Investigators tracked repeated visits to the cemetery area using license plate data and identified Jonathan Christ Gerlach as a person of interest. He was arrested Tuesday night as he walked back toward his car carrying a crowbar and a burlap bag.
Inside the bag, police said, were mummified remains of two small children, three skulls, and additional bones.
Basement Contained Skulls, Bones, and Decomposing Torsos
Search warrants were later executed at Gerlach’s home and a storage unit in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Authorities say they found more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, jewelry believed to have been taken from graves, and in one case, a pacemaker still attached to human remains.
Two decomposing torsos were also recovered, according to prosecutors.
“They were in various states,” said Tanner Rouse, the Delaware County district attorney. “Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some were pieced together. Some were just skulls on a shelf.”
Most of the remains were found in the basement, Rouse said.
Scope of Theft Still Under Review
Police say Gerlach admitted to taking about 30 sets of remains and led investigators to specific graves he had targeted. However, the volume of material recovered suggests the number may be far higher.
“Given the enormity of what we are looking at and the sheer lack of reasonable explanation, it’s difficult to say exactly what took place,” Rouse told reporters. “We’re trying to figure it out.”
Authorities are now working with forensic specialists to identify the remains and determine how many individuals were disturbed.
Historic Cemetery Long Struggled With Vandalism
Mount Moriah Cemetery, home to an estimated 150,000 grave sites, has long faced neglect and vandalism after falling into disrepair. The nonprofit Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery has worked for years to stabilize and protect the site, which contains the remains of Civil War veterans, politicians, and prominent Philadelphians.
The cemetery’s size and abandoned status have made it difficult to secure, authorities said, complicating efforts to prevent break-ins.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Gerlach has been charged with 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, along with multiple counts of burglary, trespassing, theft, and desecrating a historic burial place and venerated objects.
He is being held on $1 million bond. Court records did not list an attorney, and attempts to contact him for comment were unsuccessful.
Community Shock and Investigation Ongoing
Officials described the case as one of the most disturbing cemetery-related crimes the region has seen. Investigators continue to assess the damage to graves and notify families where possible.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation remains active and that additional charges could be filed as evidence is reviewed.