Jonathan Gerlach, a 34-year-old Pennsylvania man, has been arrested and charged with more than 500 counts after authorities discovered a “nightmarish” trove of human remains inside his home and a separate storage locker.
The findings include the mummified bodies of infants believed to be only months old.
The gruesome case came to light after police found skulls and bones in the back seat of his car during a routine patrol near a historic cemetery on the outskirts of Philadelphia last Tuesday (January 6).
Highlights
- Police found bones in Jonathan Gerlach’s car near Mount Moriah Cemetery, leading to his arrest.
- Authorities discovered over 100 skulls, infant remains, and decomposing torsos in his basement.
- Gerlach faces more than 500 charges, including disturbing corpses and the desecration of historic burial sites.
“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said during a press conference.
“This is an unbelievable scene.”
A man was arrested after authorities found a trove of hundreds of human remains inside his home
Image credits: NBC Philadelphia
That night, police officers noticed something suspicious about a parked vehicle near Mount Moriah Cemetery, a now-defunct burial ground dating back to 1855.
Upon closer inspection, they noticed the car contained what appeared to be human bones, with at least one skull clearly visible through the window.
Image credits: Facebookl/Jonathan Gerlach
Moments later, Gerlach was seen walking toward the vehicle, carrying a crowbar and a burlap bag.
Inside that sack, officers uncovered the mummified remains of two children, three skulls, and a collection of long bones. Suspected of grave robbery, Gerlach was immediately taken into custody.
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A search warrant for his residence led investigators to a concerning discovery.
More than 100 skulls, mummified feet, decomposing torsos, and long bones were found meticulously stored in his basement. Some were even strung up or displayed, while others were arranged on shelves or pieced together into partial skeletons.
“They were in various states,” Rouse explained. “Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together. Some were just skulls on a shelf.”
Gerlach was an active member of online communities that claimed to buy and sell human remains
“I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through it, who are trying to figure out if it is, in fact, their loved one or their child,” Rouse added.
“We found remains that we believe to be months-old infants among those that he had collected.”
Image credits: Facebookl/Jonathan Gerlach
Police believe Gerlach had been breaking into mausoleums and underground vaults since around Halloween of last year. The investigation eventually linked him to at least 26 separate break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery alone.
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During questioning Gerlach was cooperative, allegedly admitting to taking about 30 sets of remains, and even walking police through the cemetery, pointing out which tombs he had stolen from.
Some of the bones were over 200 years old, authorities said. Others were more recent, with one body discovered to have a pacemaker still inside.
Image credits: WHP CBS 21 Harrisburg
He was reportedly active in a Facebook group titled “Human Bones and Skull Selling Group”, where he was photographed holding a human skull. It remains unclear whether he ever sold the remains.
Image credits: WHP CBS 21 Harrisburg
“Very simply, detectives have recovered an awful lot of bones at this point, and we are still trying to piece together who they are, where they are from, and how many we are looking at,” Rouse said.
Police are now working to identify the remains and notify the corresponding relatives, with a particular focus on those belonging to infants
Gerlach is now facing an overwhelming slate of criminal charges, led by 100 counts of ab*se of a c*rpse and another 100 counts for receiving stolen property.
Prosecutors have also charged him with multiple offenses tied to the break-ins themselves, including burglary, trespassing, theft, and the desecration of historic burial sites and venerated objects. In addition, he has been charged with criminal mischief.
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Image credits: Facebookl/Jonathan Gerlach
Gerlach remains in custody on a $1 million bond, and no attorney has been listed for him in court records.
The emotional weight of the case is already being felt by the community and law enforcement alike.
“Rest in peace is rest in peace, and this is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings,” Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco said.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities now facing the complex task of identifying the remains, notifying families, and determining the full extent of the desecration.
“It’s going to be quite some time before we have a final answer,” Rouse admitted.
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