Authorities in Pennsylvania have charged a man with multiple crimes after uncovering what they describe as one of the most disturbing cases of grave robbing in the state’s history.
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, is facing more than two dozen charges after police allegedly caught him robbing a grave at Mount Moriah Cemetery, a historic site located on Kingsessing Avenue spanning Southwest Philadelphia and Yeadon, Delaware County.
According to Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse, Gerlach was arrested Tuesday following a search of his home in Lancaster County. Investigators discovered more than 100 full or partial sets of human remains in his basement. Eight additional sets of remains were located in a storage unit linked to Gerlach.
Rouse said the remains varied in age, with some dating back over 200 years and others belonging to newborns. Officials are exploring the possibility that Gerlach may have been attempting to sell the bones online, potentially through social media platforms such as Facebook.
“This is grave robbing on a scale we have not seen,” Rouse said during a press conference. “It’s horrific. Detectives walked into what can only be described as a horror movie.”
Gerlach is charged with 26 counts of burglary and criminal trespassing, along with abuse of a corpse, desecration of venerated objects, and theft-related offenses. The ongoing grave robbing investigation began weeks earlier when cemetery staff noticed disturbed gravesites and alerted police.
Since November 2025, at least 26 vaults and mausoleums at Mount Moriah Cemetery have reportedly been broken into or desecrated. Authorities believe the suspect may have targeted other cemeteries as well.
“It almost certainly didn’t only happen in Yeadon,” Rouse added, emphasizing that the grave robbing investigation is far from over.
Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco, Jr. called the case the most disturbing of his 30-year career. “Rest in peace should mean just that. This tears at your heartstrings.”
Forensic teams are working to identify the remains and notify next of kin. Gerlach’s bail has been set at $1 million.