A 34-year-old Pennsylvania man turned his basement into a macabre museum of death, housing over 100 sets of human remains stolen from historic graves in what prosecutors call “a horror movie come to life.”
Caught Red-Handed at America’s Largest Abandoned Cemetery
Jonathan Gerlach’s bone-collecting spree ended abruptly on January 6, 2026, when police caught him desecrating a monument at Mount Moriah Cemetery. Officers found him clutching a burlap bag containing mummified remains of two children, three skulls, and assorted bones. The 160-acre cemetery, spanning Southwest Philadelphia and Yeadon, houses roughly 150,000 burials, including flag-maker Betsy Ross.
Cell phone data revealed Gerlach’s phone pinged at the cemetery at least six times between October and December 2025. Cemetery staff had noticed disturbed graves weeks earlier, triggering an investigation that would uncover one of Pennsylvania’s most disturbing grave-robbing cases. The historic burial ground’s partial abandonment likely provided cover for his systematic raids.
A Basement Transformed Into a House of Horrors
The search warrant execution at Gerlach’s Ephrata home revealed a scene that stunned veteran law enforcement officials. Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse described finding skeletal remains in various states, some hanging from the ceiling, others pieced together, with skulls arranged on shelves like trophies. An additional eight sets of remains were discovered in his storage unit.
Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco, with nearly 30 years of service, called it “the most horrific thing that I’ve seen.” The remains ranged from centuries-old bones to mummified infants, representing a cross-section of Mount Moriah’s long burial history. Gerlach used a crowbar to force entry into underground vaults and mausoleums between November 2025 and January 2026.
Digital Age Body Snatching and the Online Bone Trade
Investigators suspect Gerlach’s grave robbing extended beyond personal collection to potential profit. Authorities are examining his social media accounts, particularly Facebook, for evidence of buying, selling, or trading human remains. This mirrors a previous case in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, involving online trafficking of body parts from medical institutions and mortuaries.
The case highlights a disturbing modern phenomenon where social media platforms inadvertently facilitate illegal markets for human remains. DA Rouse emphasized that the investigation “almost certainly didn’t only happen in Yeadon,” suggesting other cemeteries may have been targeted. With over 500 charges pending, including burglary, abuse of corpse, and desecration, Gerlach faces decades in prison if convicted.
Sources:
CBS Philadelphia – 100+ skeletons found in home of suspected Pennsylvania grave robber
Boston 25 News – 100+ skeletal remains found at home of alleged grave robber