Police Stumble Upon Horror in Lancaster County Home Following Mount Moriah Cemetery Break-In
A disturbing discovery has shaken the community of Yeadon, Pennsylvania, as police uncovered more than 100 human skeletal remains in a Lancaster County home linked to an individual arrested for allegedly breaking into a grave at Mount Moriah Cemetery. Jonathan Gerlach, 34, faces a slew of charges amid an investigation into a series of high-profile grave robberies at the historic cemetery.
According to authorities, Gerlach was caught on camera parked next to Mount Moriah Cemetery late Monday evening with numerous human bones and skulls visible in the back seat of his Toyota RAV4. He was subsequently taken into custody after detectives spotted him leaving the scene carrying a burlap bag containing two mummified remains of small children, three skulls, and other bones.
Further investigation led police to execute a search warrant at Gerlach's Ephrata home, where they discovered a grim trove of human remains in his basement. The haul included human skulls, skeletal remains, mummified feet and hands, and two decomposing torsos, some of which were found hanging or pieced together.
"It was like a horror movie come to life," said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse, describing the scene discovered by detectives. Authorities are still investigating why Gerlach collected human remains and whether he sold any of the items allegedly stolen from grave sites, with motives remaining unclear.
Gerlach's arrest has sent shockwaves through the community, with police chief Henry Giammarco Jr. describing the case as "the most disturbing" he's encountered during his career. The investigation is ongoing, with detectives probing Gerlach's background and online behavior, although there is currently no evidence of involvement with a Satanic cult.
As authorities work to process the numerous human remains discovered in Gerlach's home, they are also seeking information from the public regarding potential other sites where remains may have been taken. The case has raised concerns about the desecration and theft of venerated objects, with many calling for increased security measures at historic cemeteries across the region.
Gerlach is currently being held on $1 million bail and faces 26 counts of burglary and criminal trespassing, abuse of a corpse, and desecration and theft or sale of venerated objects.
A disturbing discovery has shaken the community of Yeadon, Pennsylvania, as police uncovered more than 100 human skeletal remains in a Lancaster County home linked to an individual arrested for allegedly breaking into a grave at Mount Moriah Cemetery. Jonathan Gerlach, 34, faces a slew of charges amid an investigation into a series of high-profile grave robberies at the historic cemetery.
According to authorities, Gerlach was caught on camera parked next to Mount Moriah Cemetery late Monday evening with numerous human bones and skulls visible in the back seat of his Toyota RAV4. He was subsequently taken into custody after detectives spotted him leaving the scene carrying a burlap bag containing two mummified remains of small children, three skulls, and other bones.
Further investigation led police to execute a search warrant at Gerlach's Ephrata home, where they discovered a grim trove of human remains in his basement. The haul included human skulls, skeletal remains, mummified feet and hands, and two decomposing torsos, some of which were found hanging or pieced together.
"It was like a horror movie come to life," said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse, describing the scene discovered by detectives. Authorities are still investigating why Gerlach collected human remains and whether he sold any of the items allegedly stolen from grave sites, with motives remaining unclear.
Gerlach's arrest has sent shockwaves through the community, with police chief Henry Giammarco Jr. describing the case as "the most disturbing" he's encountered during his career. The investigation is ongoing, with detectives probing Gerlach's background and online behavior, although there is currently no evidence of involvement with a Satanic cult.
As authorities work to process the numerous human remains discovered in Gerlach's home, they are also seeking information from the public regarding potential other sites where remains may have been taken. The case has raised concerns about the desecration and theft of venerated objects, with many calling for increased security measures at historic cemeteries across the region.
Gerlach is currently being held on $1 million bail and faces 26 counts of burglary and criminal trespassing, abuse of a corpse, and desecration and theft or sale of venerated objects.
this is literally like something out of a horror movie... i'm literally shaking thinking about it 
how could someone do this to those poor souls? 
it's not just the fact that he stole human remains, but also that he sold them or was planning to sell them. what's next? 
is it too much to ask for people to respect the dead? 
this case is a total nightmare and i'm so glad the police are investigating and trying to bring justice to the victims and their families 
This whole thing is just mind-blowing... I mean, you see the news about this guy collecting human remains from graves and now it turns out he's got a whole collection in his basement 
. I think the authorities should really look into his online behavior and see if there were any red flags or warning signs that they missed 
. This whole case has left a lot of people in shock, especially here in the US where we value our cemeteries so much 
. The fact that there are already calls for increased security measures at historic cemeteries is just a testament to how shaken the community is 
.
️. Collecting human remains is so wrong, it's like someone took all the respect for their loved ones and threw it away 
. The thought of those poor families who lost their relatives and now have to deal with this... it's just too much 
. And to think he was just sitting around parking next to a cemetery with all those human bones and skulls, no one even suspected anything 
. The fact that it took a break-in at Mount Moriah Cemetery to catch him off guard is pretty disturbing 
. Need more security at those cemeteries ASAP 
. This dude's got some 'splainin' to do...
We need to talk about why this guy was able to operate for so long without getting caught... is it because our justice system isn't prioritizing these kinds of cases? 
. this whole thing just feels super messed up 
my heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones in that terrible break-in... how painful it must be to think someone would take such an awful act on those sacred places 
and poor detectives who have to deal with this, i can only imagine the emotional toll it must take... 
it's just wild. can u imagine walking into your own home one day to find a basement full of mummies and skulls? "hello, I'm having a little séance down here" 
i mean what's next, are we gonna find a guy with a collection of taxidermied squirrels too? squirrel apocalypse, anyone? 
