Investigators say the bones were taken from Mount Moriah Cemetery and stored in an Ephrata home and a rented locker.
EPHRATA, PA — A 34-year-old Pennsylvania man was charged this week after authorities said they found more than 100 full or partial sets of human remains in his home and a storage unit, items investigators believe were taken from a historic cemetery near Philadelphia.
Officials said the case centers on thefts from Mount Moriah Cemetery, a sprawling 19th-century burial ground. The man, identified by prosecutors as Jonathan Christ Gerlach of Ephrata, was arrested Tuesday night after officers spotted bones and skulls in his car near the cemetery. Searches that followed uncovered skulls, long bones, mummified body parts and decomposing torsos at his residence and in a rented unit. Prosecutors said he faces hundreds of counts, including abuse of a corpse, burglary and theft, and is being held on $1 million bail while investigators work to identify the remains and notify families.
Investigators said the arrest capped weeks of nighttime surveillance and tips about break-ins at Mount Moriah. Police who approached a vehicle outside the cemetery saw human remains in plain view, leading to an arrest and the seizure of tools and bags. A search warrant for Gerlach’s Ephrata home, a modest house on a quiet block, reportedly revealed racks and containers of bones, some partially assembled. Detectives also recovered jewelry and other grave goods they believe were taken during break-ins. Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse called the scene “a horror movie come to life,” saying the scope of the thefts shocked even veteran officers.
Authorities said at least 26 mausoleums and vaults at Mount Moriah had been forced open since early November, with pry marks and shattered stone left behind. The cemetery, which spans the city line between Philadelphia and Yeadon, holds tens of thousands of graves from the Civil War era through the 20th century. Some remains recovered in Ephrata belonged to children, investigators said, and one torso still had a pacemaker attached. Prosecutors said license-plate readers and cellphone data placed Gerlach at the cemetery on multiple dates. In interviews after his arrest, he allegedly admitted taking remains and guided investigators to specific vaults that had been opened.
Records describe Mount Moriah as a historic but long-troubled site, where volunteer groups and municipalities have struggled with upkeep and security. Police said recent break-ins targeted older mausoleums with damaged locks and crumbling doors. Neighbors living around the Ephrata address told reporters they had noticed late-night comings and goings and the delivery of large plastic bins. The home search extended into a rented storage unit, where boxes of bones were stacked alongside household items, investigators said. Crime-scene technicians spent hours cataloging skulls and long bones and photographing the condition of each find for the coroner’s office.
Prosecutors filed more than 100 counts related to abuse of corpse and receiving stolen property, along with multiple burglary and criminal mischief charges tied to the cemetery break-ins. Officials said charges could be adjusted as more remains are identified or linked to specific graves. Gerlach is being held in Lancaster County on $1 million bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20. Investigators are working with medical examiners in Delaware and Lancaster counties to map where each set of remains may have originated, cross-checking cemetery records and contacting families who report disturbed graves.
The investigation now turns to identification, which officials said will take time. Many bones were dry and brittle, while some body parts were mummified or decomposed, conditions that can complicate DNA testing. Examiners are logging each item’s condition, measuring bones and scanning for medical devices or unique features that could match burial records. Authorities said they are also looking into possible online activity, including private groups that trade in human bones, to determine whether any remains were sold or promised to others. Prosecutors said they have not announced a motive and do not know the full number of graves affected.
The case has unsettled families with loved ones at Mount Moriah and rattled the Ephrata block where the home sits. “We’re heartbroken and angry,” said Ruth Abbott, who said her great-grandfather is buried at the cemetery’s Yeadon side. In Ephrata, neighbor Daniel Flores said he watched investigators carry out sealed boxes for hours: “It felt endless,” he said. Rouse, the district attorney, said his office is coordinating counseling resources for families. Police have increased patrols around Mount Moriah and placed temporary barriers around damaged vaults while crews install new locks and braces.
As of Friday afternoon, investigators were still processing items from the home and storage unit and preparing for the Jan. 20 hearing. Officials said more charges are possible as evidence is analyzed and additional grave sites are confirmed. The coroner’s office plans to brief families again early next week on the identification process and next steps.
Author note: Last updated January 9, 2026.