On January 6, 2026, detectives caught Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, leaving Mount Moriah Cemetery near Philadelphia with a burlap bag containing the mummified remains of two small children and three skulls. A search of his home revealed over 100 human skulls, mummified hands and feet, decomposing torsos—some hanging from the ceiling—and jewellery from graves. His storage unit contained eight more complete corpses. Between November 2025 and January 2026, Gerlach had systematically broken into 26 mausoleums and underground vaults, rappelling down ropes, smashing marble floors, stealing skeletal remains dating from 200 years old to months-old infants. On Instagram as \"deadshitdaddy,\" he posted 100+ images of human skulls for sale. A Facebook group member thanked him for a bag made of human skin. Gerlach faces 574 charges and is held on $1 million bail. The investigation continues: Were the remains shipped across state lines? Who were the buyers? And can the dead finally be returned to rest in peace?
","author_name":"Jack Laurence"}