Philly burbs police stunned by arrest of apparent grave robbery carrying sack with skulls, bones, mummified remains | Fortune

"Bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car near an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia's outskirts led police to a basement filled with body parts, which authorities say were hoarded by a man now accused of stealing about 100 sets of human remains. Officers say a Tuesday night arrest culminated a monthslong investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forced open since early November."

"Investigators later searched the Ephrata home and storage unit of Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, and reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items. "They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together, some were just skulls on a shelf," Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said."

"Police say Gerlach targeted mausoleums and underground vaults at the 1855 cemetery. It's considered the country's largest abandoned burial ground, according to Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, which helps maintain the 160-acre landmark in Yeadon that's home to an estimated 150,000 grave sites. Police had been looking into the string of burglaries when an investigator checked Gerlach's vehicle plates and found he had been near Yeadon repeatedly during the period when the burglaries occurred."

Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, was arrested after bones and skulls in his vehicle led police to a basement and storage units containing human remains. Investigators reported finding more than 100 skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items, many kept in various states and some pieced together. Authorities recovered jewelry and a pacemaker believed linked to graves. The break-ins targeted mausoleums and sealed underground vaults at Mount Moriah Cemetery. License-plate checks placed Gerlach near the cemetery; officers arrested him with a crowbar and a burlap bag holding mummified remains and skulls. Gerlach told investigators he took about 30 sets.

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