‘Horror movie come to life’: Man faces nearly 600 charges after 100 skulls and skeletons were allegedly found in his home
Police investigators said they were horrified to find more than 100 skulls and skeletons at the Pennsylvania home of a man who is now facing nearly 600 criminal charges.
Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse announced in a press conference Thursday that 34-year-old Jonathan Gerlach of Ephrata had been charged with 574 counts, including trespassing, abuse of a corpse, and theft.
‘It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this.’
Detectives had been on a stakeout at the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery and Arboretum in Yeadon Tuesday when they noticed that a car belonging to Gerlach had “numerous bones and skulls in plain view in the back seat.”
They said they saw the man leaving the cemetery with a burlap bag and a crowbar. When he was detained and questioned, Gerlach admitted that he had stolen human remains from 30 grave sites.
They found far worse after raiding the man’s home.
“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home,” Rouse said at the press conference. “It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is in fact one of their loved ones.”
Investigators are now trying to determine why Gerlach had been collecting the remains.
They are also investigating Gerlach’s involvement in a group on Facebook titled, “Human Bones and Skull Selling Group.”
Rouse said that some of the remains were hung up, some were pieced together, and skulls were found on the man’s shelf.
“Very simply, detectives have recovered an awful lot of bones at this point, and we are still trying to piece together who they are, where they are from, and how many we are looking at,” Rouse said. “It’s going to be quite some time before we have a final answer.”
Gerlach is being held at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility on bail of $1 million.
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“Rest in peace is rest in peace, and this is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings,” Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco said.
The cemetery was founded in 1855, according to a sign at the entrance.
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