BONE COLLECTOR

Man Arrested With Over 100 Human Bones in ‘Horror’ Home

Jonathan Gerlach robbed an untold number of graves for his collection.

Pennsylvania man Jonathan Gerlach faces over 500 charges related to the over 100 skeletal remains found in his Ephrata, Pennsylvania, home. Gerlach, 34, was arrested on Jan. 6 by Delaware County officials, who described Gerlach’s home as a “horror movie.” “Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life the other night. This is an unbelievable scene,” said Tanner Rouse, the Delaware County District Attorney. Gerlach is an alleged serial grave robber who amassed his collection by breaking into mausoleums and graves at Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. Officials say he had human skeletons in various conditions in his home and car. Gerlach did not discriminate between young, old, elderly, or children’s bones. Some of the bones found in Gerlach’s home were over 200 years old, while one was said to still have a pacemaker attached. Gerlach posted in the “Human Bones and Skull Selling Group,” which Delaware County officials say is also under investigation. It is unclear why Gerlach collected the bones or if he engaged in the bone-selling trade. His bail was set at $1 million.