Authorities in Pennsylvania have levelled nearly 600 criminal charges against a man accused of a 'horrific' grave robbing spree at a historic cemetery, after discovering a macabre collection of more than 100 human remains in his car, home, and storage locker.
A 'Horror Movie' Discovery in Car and Home
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, from Ephrata, was arrested on Tuesday 7 January 2026 after police spotted him leaving the Mount Moriah cemetery in Yeadon, Delaware County, carrying a crowbar and a burlap sack. Upon searching his Toyota Rav4, officers reported finding 'numerous bones and skulls in the back seat area' in plain view.
The subsequent investigation descended into what Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse described as walking into 'a horror movie come to life'. A search of Gerlach's home, roughly 70 miles away, revealed human remains in the basement, on shelves, and even hanging from the ceiling. Further remains were located in a storage locker.
The grisly inventory included:
- Human skulls and loose bones
- Mummified feet and headless torsos
- The remains of infants believed to be only months old
- A skeleton with a cardiac pacemaker still attached
Months of Desecration at Historic Burial Site
Prosecutors allege that Gerlach spent months forcing his way into at least 26 mausoleums and underground burial vaults at Mount Moriah cemetery. The site, which lacks a perimeter fence, is the final resting place of notable figures including Betsy Ross, the Philadelphia seamstress credited with sewing the first US flag.
Gerlach became a suspect after his vehicle was repeatedly captured on licence plate readers near the cemetery. His mobile phone records also placed him in the vicinity during the thefts. According to a sworn police statement, Gerlach allegedly admitted to using the crowbar to pry open a grave on the night of his arrest and acknowledged stealing at least 30 sets of human remains on previous occasions.
Hundreds of Charges and Community Grief
Jonathan Gerlach now faces a staggering 575 criminal charges. These include over 100 counts of corpse abuse, alongside theft, burglary, trespassing, and intentional desecration of venerated objects and historic burial places.
A judge has ordered him held on $1 million bail, with a tentative next court appearance scheduled for 20 January. No attorney for Gerlach was immediately listed in records.
District Attorney Rouse expressed profound sympathy for families connected to the cemetery, stating, 'I grieve for those who are upset by this... who are trying to figure out if it is, in fact, their loved one.' Investigators are now painstakingly working to identify the centuries-old and modern remains, a process officials warn will take 'quite some time'.
Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco, with three decades in law enforcement, summarised the case's gravity: 'I can say this is probably the most horrific thing that I’ve seen.' Authorities are also examining jewellery recovered from Gerlach's home to determine if it was intended for sale.
