BONE MARKET

Accused Grave Robber Allegedly Admits Selling Human Remains Online

Detectives found over 100 human skulls at the Pennsylvania man’s home.

A Pennsylvania man accused of stealing human remains from a cemetery admitted that he sold them online, according to search warrants. Jonathan Gerlach, 34, who is facing more than 500 charges, was arrested on Jan.6 after a tip was submitted to Lancaster City Police Department’s CrimeWatch page, according to the Baltimore Sun. The tipster, who claimed Gerlach had been in “Chicago selling a human skull,” directed detectives to Gerlach’s social media, where they found someone in a human bones and skull-selling group who thanked the grave robber for a human skin bag, the Guardian reported. Detectives then tracked Gerlach’s phone records and vehicle and caught him in the act of stealing remains at Mount Moriah Cemetery. When confronted, he told detectives that “he sold some remains online but that the vast majority of them were in the basement of his current residence.” Detectives then seized more than 100 human skulls, numerous human bones, mummified feet and hands, and two decomposing human torsos from Gerlach’s home. The 34-year-old is scheduled to appear in court on January 20, and his bail has been set at $1 million.