House Of Horrors: Mummified Remains, Decomposing Torsos Found In Alleged PA Bone Thief's Home

YEADON, PA — The case against accused Delaware County grave robber Jonathan Gerlach includes some new, gruesome details, as documented by county investigators.

During the search of Gerlach's Ephrata, Lancaster County home and storage unit, investigators found two decomposing human torsos, mummified human feet and hands, more than 100 human skulls, numerous human long bones, and other assorted skeletal items, authorities said in charging documents.

Gerlach, 34, is charged with 26 counts of burglary, 100 counts of abuse of a corpse, 26 counts of two separate trespassing charges, 100 counts of theft by unlawful taking, 100 counts of receiving stolen property, 26 counts each of separate desecration charges, and 26 counts of criminal mischief, authorities said.

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The alleged crimes

He is accused of breaking into 26 underground vaults and mausoleums between Nov. 7, 2025 and Jan. 6, 2026 at Mount Moriah Cemetery, which is partially in Yeadon and Philadelphia. Some of the affected burial sites date back to the late 1800s, Yeadon Police said.

When Gerlach was taken into custody by county detectives on Jan. 6 as he exited the cemetery, he was found in possession of two mummified remains of small children, three skulls, and other assorted bones, authorities said. Investigators also said his vehicle contained numerous bones and skulls in the back seat.

"I've been a cop for 30 years, in Philly, with the state, and here," Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco told Patch. "Never in my wildest dreams would I see this. When I saw an infant's body laid out, it infuriated me. I feel for the families."

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Police get a tip

Yeadon Police said law enforcement got a tip in late December 2025 about a corpse spotted in the basement of Gerlach's home on the 100 block of Washington Avenue in Ephrata. The report stated the corpse was on display in the basement, being held up by its shoulders.

Action News reports Gerlach was thanked in a social media group for sending one member a skull, possibly belonging to a teenager, as well as remains of a baboon and a monkey.

The cemetery was established in 1855 and is approximately 160 acres containing over 150,000 grave sites.

"Mount Moriah is the largest abandoned cemetery in the United States," Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery said. "Its historic grounds are cared for by a dedicated group of approximately 12 volunteers who show up week in and week out to preserve this space."

Mausoleums in the cemetery are sealed by either a secured door or cinder block, authorities said. The underground vaults have four walls and are sealed by a heavy stone or marble slab over the top to prevent access.

The 26 targeted vaults and mausoleums were broken into and damaged, and 25 of them are more than 100 years old, authorities said.

How police racked the case

Local police said investigators found evidence of pry marks on the targeted burial areas, and that sealed doorways into mausoleums were bashed in.

Detectives were monitoring the cemetery when they saw a car with numerous bones and skulls in plain view in the back seat of the vehicle. Gerlach was then seen leaving the cemetery holding a burlap bag, crow bar and other assorted items, authorities said. He was taken into custody and subsequently admitted to stealing about 30 sets of human remains, the DA's office said. Gerlach was in possession of a crowbar when he was taken into custody, county authorities said.

Investigators later searched Gerlach's home in Ephrata, and the results led them to believe more than 100 full or partial sets of human and skeletal remains have been taken from Gerlach’s home and storage unit in Ephrata.

Volunteers at the cemetery found a rope and carabiner inside a mausoleum, indicating someone rappelled into it to access crypts, authorities said. The Times also reports an empty Monster energy drink can was found in the area, and it was taken in for DNA testing.

Gerlach later admitted to stealing about 30 sets of human remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery, and also showed investigators seven underground vaults from which he removed 15 skulls and other parts of human remains, authorities said.

The investigation is ongoing, and local police said those interred traditionally, as in buried six feet in soil, were not disturbed.

He is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled for a Jan. 20 preliminary hearing in Delaware County.