Posted on 04/20/2026 2:01:05 AM PDT by Libloather
A Pennsylvania man accused of stealing more than 100 sets of human remains from a historic cemetery appeared in court Friday, where he reportedly waived his right to an evidentiary hearing.
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, appeared in Delaware County court wearing a lime green prison jumpsuit. Clean-shaven with his hair tied back in a bun, he looked noticeably different from his booking photo. He spoke little during the brief proceeding, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.
Gerlach is facing nearly 500 charges — including burglary, abuse of a corpse and desecration of monuments — tied to a disturbing investigation at Mount Moriah Cemetery near Philadelphia, the outlet reported.
During Friday’s hearing, prosecutors dropped two burglary charges but filed additional counts related to alleged cemetery break-ins in Lancaster and Luzerne counties, FOX 29 reported.
The case has shocked both investigators and the public since Gerlach’s arrest in January.
At the time, Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse described what detectives uncovered as "a horror movie come to life."
Authorities say more than 100 full or partial sets of human and skeletal remains were recovered from Gerlach’s home in Ephrata and a storage unit.
Some of the remains are believed to be centuries old, while others belonged to infants, according to prosecutors.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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He’s in grave danger.
Gang member type tattoos on a mentally ill grave robber with a man-bun, sometimes there are just no words.
he seems nice.
Police said Gerlach was initially identified after officers conducting surveillance spotted bones and skulls inside his vehicle at Mount Moriah Cemetery
Investigators later observed him leaving the cemetery carrying a burlap bag, a crowbar and other tools. Authorities allege he admitted to stealing approximately 30 sets of remains.
What were the police thinking? Obviously this was a good deed misunderstood, because human remains on Mount Moriah block the passage of the Messiah.
Now the whole plot is in mortal danger!
Oh sure, Jonathan may look a tad sketchy, but you can't judge a book by its cover. He's *supposed to* blend in with the residents, like he's lived there his whole life.
Despite his rattling appearance, he's a real 'leave no stone unturned' type workaholic.
Thanks for nothing, coppers. It's so hard to find good help these days.
Comment of the day on that site:
buckweat900
8h
The most pressing question any reader might ask this writer didn’t touch on. Why did he steal all of those human remains?
kw61
5m
He’s running a Democrat voter registration drive.
BINGO!
He's driving Democrat voters to the polls.
WTF is wrong with people?
SMH
“Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
I read the article. I think I read the whole thing. I didn’t see it told why he did it. What a weirdo.
“He’s driving Democrat voters to the polls. “
You win Post Of The Day, and it’s not even 8am yet
Sometimes they look exactly like what you would think they should look like.
“””Sometimes they look exactly like what you would think they should look like.”””
And if he had any friends, I would like to see the photos of those friends.
They probably look like normal spiders.
I'm thinking more along the line of a satanic cult.
Make no bones about it. He is definitely in a satanic cult.
Bones come and bones go. They just take a lot
longer time to complete the process than flesh.
When asked why he robbed graveyards, Mr. Gerlach replied, "Because that's where the bodies are!"
Regards,
Was that wrong? ;)
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