EPHRATA, PA – A Pennsylvania man faces more than 450 criminal charges after police discovered over 100 sets of human remains in his home and storage unit, with authorities calling the scene something out of “a horror movie.”
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata was arrested this week during a surveillance operation at Mount Moriah Cemetery near Philadelphia. Officers watching for burglars observed Gerlach’s vehicle in the cemetery parking lot with “numerous bones and skulls in plain view in the back seat.”
When police confronted him, Gerlach was allegedly exiting the cemetery grounds carrying a burlap bag, crowbar, and other tools. He initially admitted to stealing approximately 30 sets of human remains, but the investigation quickly revealed the scope of his collection was far more disturbing.
A search of Gerlach’s home and a rented storage unit uncovered more than 100 full or partial sets of human skeletal remains. Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said the discovery included bones from people of all ages, from infants just months old to bodies that may have been buried hundreds of years ago.
“This is a horror movie come to life,” Rouse said during a press conference announcing the charges.
Investigators are still working to identify the remains and determine where each set originated. Mount Moriah Cemetery, a historic burial ground, has been plagued by reports of neglect and vandalism in recent years.
Gerlach now faces more than 450 charges including 100 counts each of abuse of corpse, theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property. A judge set his bail at $1 million.
His arraignment hearing is scheduled for January 20. It remains unclear what Gerlach intended to do with the remains or how long he had been collecting them.
