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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Ramon Antonio Vargas

Pennsylvania man charged after alleged ‘horrific’ grave robbing from cemetery

Grave markers in a cemetery
Grave markers at the Mount Moriah cemetery in Philadelphia, on 8 January 2026. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

A Pennsylvania man suspected of desecrating a historic cemetery in his state is facing hundreds of charges pertaining to grave robbery after authorities recently found more than 100 pieces of human remains in his possession, prompting one official to call the case “the most horrific thing”.

Jonathan Gerlach, 34, had human skulls, bones, mummified feet, headless torsos and other corpse parts – including in his car, home and storage locker – after his arrest on Tuesday, according to a sworn police statement reported by NBC News.

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