Woman whose father’s remains were trafficked by Harvard morgue staff says she was ‘going to throw up’

A Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife are among five people who have been charged with stealing and selling human remains.

Cedric Lodge, who was fired on 6 May, allegedly stole “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers that were donated to the school, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania said on Wednesday.

He and his wife Denise sold the body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, sending them in the post, according to the indictment. In one case, the buyer allegedly intended to tan skin into leather.

The scheme, which is part of a larger black market, is alleged to have gone on from 2018 to 2022.

Mr Lodge, who was hired by Harvard in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, allegedly sometimes allowed potential buyers into the morgue to choose which body parts they wanted.

After the horrifying allegations emerged, family members who donated their loved ones’ bodies to medical research spoke of their horror.

“We were just disgusted,” Paula Peltonovich, whose father’s remains were donated to the school, told the Boston Globe on Thursday. “Sick, like we were going to throw up.”

Key Points

• ‘It was like I was hit by a tsunami of emotion'

• VIDEO: Harvard Medical School donated body parts stolen, sold by former morgue manager

• ‘Disgusted’: Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager

• ‘We as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible'

• Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after learning Harvard morgue worker accused of selling human remains

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

Thursday 15 June 2023 13:41 , Shweta Sharma

A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife were among five people who have been charged with stealing and selling human remains.

Cedric Lodge, who was fired on 6 May, allegedly stole “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers that were donated to the school, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania said on Wednesday.

He and his wife Denise sold the body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and transferred them via the postal service to clients who intended to tan skin into leather in one instance, according to the indictment.

The scheme, which is part of a larger black market, is alleged to have been running for five years, from 2018 to 2022.

Mr Lodge, who was hired by Harvard in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, allegedly allowed potential buyers into the school’s morgue to choose what parts to buy at times.

Read more:

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

Thursday 15 June 2023 13:55 , AP

A former manager at the Harvard Medical School morgue, his wife and three other people have been indicted in the theft and sale of human body parts, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Wednesday.

Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the school in the scheme that stretched from 2018 to early 2023, according to court documents. The body parts were taken without the school’s knowledge or permission, authorities said, adding that the school has cooperated with the investigation.

Lodge sometimes took the body parts — which included heads, brains, skin and bones — back to his home where he lived with his wife, Denise, 63, and some remains were sent to buyers through the mail, authorities said. Lodge also allegedly allowed buyers to come to the morgue to pick what remains they wanted to buy.

Read more:

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

‘Some crimes defy understanding'

Thursday 15 June 2023 14:15 , Shweta Sharma

Mr Lodge sometimes took dissected body parts back to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, before transporting them.

Bodies are donated to the Harvard Medical School under the “Anatomical Gifts Program” and are to be used for education, teaching or research purposes.

After the school finishes using cadavers, they are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the family or buried in a cemetery.

“Some crimes defy understanding,” said US attorney Gerard M Karam.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

‘An abhorrent betrayal'

Thursday 15 June 2023 14:30 , AP

Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for education, teaching or research purposes. Once they are no longer needed, the cadavers are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the donor’s family or buried in a cemetery.

In a message posted on the school’s website entitled “An abhorrent betrayal,” deans George Daley and Edward Hundert called the matter “morally reprehensible.” They said Lodge was fired May 6.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus — a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” the deans wrote. “The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.”

Suspects charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods

Thursday 15 June 2023 14:50 , AP

The indictment charges the Lodges and three others — Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota — with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. It was not known Wednesday if any of the defendants had a lawyer who could comment on their behalf.

According to prosecutors, the defendants were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold remains stolen from the school and an Arkansas mortuary. The Lodges allegedly sold remains to Maclean, Taylor, and others in arrangements made through telephone calls and social media websites.

Taylor sometimes transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania, authorities said, while other times the Lodges would mail remains to him and others. Maclean and Taylor resold the stolen remains for profit, authorities said.

Suspects exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, prosecutors say

Thursday 15 June 2023 15:10 , AP

Denise and Cedric Lodge both made their initial court appearances Wednesday in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, and were each released on personal recognizance bail. They declined to comment as they left the courthouse.

Two other people have been charged in the case.

Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, allegedly bought some remains from Candace Chapman Scott, of Little Rock, Arkansas, who allegedly stole them from a mortuary where she worked. Authorities have said Scott stole body parts from cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, noting many of the bodies had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by a medical school in Arkansas.

Pauley allegedly sold many of the stolen remains to other people, including individuals, including Lampi. Pauley and Lampi bought and sold from each other over an extended period of time and exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, authorities said.

Scott and Pauley have both pleaded not guilty.

Suspect shipped human skin and ‘engaged services to tan the skin to create leather'

Thursday 15 June 2023 15:30 , Shweta Sharma

A statement from the Harvard Medical School’s deans on Wednesday, titled “An abhorrent betrayal”, said federal authorities had accused Mr Lodge of “having engaged in activities that are morally reprehensible”.

Katrina Maclean of Salem, who owns a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations, Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Mathew Lampi of East Bethel, Minnesota and the Lodges were charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Jeremy Pauley of Pennsylvania and Candace Chapman Scott of Arkansas were previously indicted.

Ms Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers from Harvard where she worked and sold the human remains that were supposed to be cremated.

This included the corpses of two stillborn babies supposed to have been cremated and returned to their families, the charging document said.

In 2021, Ms Maclean shipped human skin to Mr Pauley and “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, an indictment said, according to the New York Times. It was reportedly dissected faces she purchased for $600.

Ms Maclean runs a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations which advertises “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” on social media accounts. The accounts reveal she specialises in up-cycling dolls into gothic and horror novelties.

PayPal description states ‘head number 7'

Thursday 15 June 2023 16:00 , Shweta Sharma

Harvard Medical School deans George Daley and Edward Hundert said they were “appalled” that something so disturbing happened on the campus of a community dedicated to healing and serving others.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research,” the statement said.

The charging document included a grim reference to a PayPal description of a payment of $1,000 that allegedly read “head number 7”.

The four defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after learning Harvard morgue worker accused of selling human remains

Thursday 15 June 2023 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A niece who handed her aunt’s body to the Harvard Medical School has said that she feels “sick” after federal prosecutors have alleged that morgue staff sold body parts for profit.

Sarah Hill had an easy decision to make after the passing of her aunt Christine Eppich in March 2021 from pancreatic cancer. Ms Eppich had made clear that she wanted her body donated to Harvard for research and education.

“She was my favourite aunt. She worked with special needs children and adults and everyone loved Christine,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

Ms Hill said Ms Eppich had already made arrangements before her passing to have her remains handed over to the Harvard Anatomical programme. The family is now concerned about what could have happened to Ms Eppich’s remains following the allegations that morgue staff was selling body parts.

“It’s been a frantic 24 hours. I received Christine’s remains back this fall after not having them for two years,” Ms Hill told the local TV station. “You know you give your loved one to a program like Harvard and you think that everything will be done properly. And that people would never profit from something like this.”

Read more:

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after Harvard morgue worker accused of selling bodies

‘We as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible'

Thursday 15 June 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The former manager at the medical school’s morgue, Cedric Lodge, 55, his wife Denise Lodge, 63, and Kat’s Creepy Creations owner Katrina Maclean, 44, all face allegations that they sold body parts that were supposed to be used for research by the school. The crimes spanned several states, the allegations claim.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News. “And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

Legal filings state that some of the body parts were sold via Facebook and some transactions were processed through PayPal, with shipments being made by US Postal Service mail.

Federal prosecutors say that morgue manager stole organs and other body parts between 2018 and 2022

Thursday 15 June 2023 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Federal prosecutors say that Mr Lodge stole organs and other body parts between 2018 and 2022 while serving as the manager of the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School. The remains were set to be used for medical research and education ahead of their planned cremations.

Ms Hill is the next of kin for Ms Eppich. She called the Harvard programme’s 24-hour hotline on Wednesday evening and she was told Ms Eppich was included on the list of those “potentially affected”.

Ms Hill said the person at the other end of the line said that not all bodies donated between 2018 and this year will appear on the list. The medical and dental programmes accepted donations of the bodies of people who had passed away at the ages of 18 and up.

The Department of Justice is trying to identify further victims and contact their families.

‘Heads, brains, skin and bones’: Everything we know about the Harvard Medical School body parts seller

Thursday 15 June 2023 18:00 , Joe Sommerlad

“Some crimes defy understanding.”

That’s how US attorney Gerard M Karam summed up the ghoulish case of Cecil Lodge, the long-serving morgue manager of the prestigious Harvard Medical School (HMS), who, along with his wife Denise and five other people, has been charged with stealing and selling human remains donated to the facility and selling them on the black market.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human,” Mr Karam reflected.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

Mr Lodge, 55, was hired by the revered Ivy League institution in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1995 but was fired on 6 May this year for allegedly stealing “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers between 2018 and 2022 and selling them on to interested buyers, some of whom were seemingly allowed to tour the morgue to peruse which body parts they might like to acquire.

Read more:

Everything we know about the Harvard Medical School body parts seller

Owner of shop specialising in ‘creepy dolls, oddities, and bone art’ arrested

Thursday 15 June 2023 18:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Mr Lodge and his wife, 63, were arrested on Wednesday along with Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts – who owns a store in nearby Peabody called Kat’s Creepy Creations that specialises in “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” – Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota

The defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Two other people, Jeremy Pauley of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and Candace Chapman Scott of Little Rock, Arkansas, were previously indicted for buying and selling stolen body parts intended for cremation and pleaded not guilty.

Ms Maclean is accused of selling remains stolen by Mr Lodge to other buyers in multiple states, including to Mr Pauley, to whom she allegedly shipped a package of human skin in 2021 having “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, after which he sent it back to her, according to The New York Times.

Body parts sold in national network of traffickers trading in human remains

Thursday 15 June 2023 19:00 , Joe Sommerlad

According to the federal indictment, Cecil Lodge would spirit the dissected body parts away from the HMS morgue and store them at his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire.

He and his wife would then sell them as part of a national network of traffickers trading in human remains, conducting transactions on Facebook and PayPal and cheerily making use of the US Postal Service, as though they were shipping collectible Beanie Babies.

“Head number 7” read one chillingly matter-of-fact PayPal description for one of these transactions, worth $1,000, according to the charging document.

Bodies donated by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science

Thursday 15 June 2023 19:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Bodies are routinely donated to HMS under its “Anatomical Gifts Program” by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science rather than be buried in a cemetery plot or cremated – on the strict understanding that they will be used for educational, teaching or research purposes only – before they are finally laid to rest in a respectful manner in accordance with the deceased’s wishes.

‘We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus'

Thursday 15 June 2023 20:00 , Joe Sommerlad

In response to the indictment and arrest of Lodge and his alleged accomplices, the deans of Harvard University’s faculty of medicine and of HMS’s department of medical education, George Q Daley and Edward M Hundert, issued a statement on Wednesday labelling the conduct they stand accused of “an abhorrent betrayal”.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus – a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” they wrote.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.

“We are so very sorry for the pain this news will cause for our anatomical donors’ families and loved ones and HMS pledges to engage with them during this deeply distressing time.”

Niece of woman on ‘potentially affected’ list speaks out

Thursday 15 June 2023 20:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Among those to have come forward to express their horror has been Sarah Hill, whose beloved aunt Christine Eppich donated her body to HMS as part of the program following her death from pancreatic cancer in March 2021.

Ms Hill said she had called the 24-hour hotline set up by the HMS to answer relatives’ concerns when the news of Lodge’s arrest broke and said she felt “sick” when she was informed that her aunt’s name was on the institution’s “potentially affected list”.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other, you know, disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

“And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

‘Two dissected faces’ bought for $600

Thursday 15 June 2023 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

Thursday 15 June 2023 21:30 , Shweta Sharma

A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife were among five people who have been charged with stealing and selling human remains.

Cedric Lodge, who was fired on 6 May, allegedly stole “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers that were donated to the school, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania said on Wednesday.

He and his wife Denise sold the body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and transferred them via the postal service to clients who intended to tan skin into leather in one instance, according to the indictment.

The scheme, which is part of a larger black market, is alleged to have been running for five years, from 2018 to 2022.

Mr Lodge, who was hired by Harvard in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, allegedly allowed potential buyers into the school’s morgue to choose what parts to buy at times.

Read more:

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

Thursday 15 June 2023 22:00 , AP

A former manager at the Harvard Medical School morgue, his wife and three other people have been indicted in the theft and sale of human body parts, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Wednesday.

Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the school in the scheme that stretched from 2018 to early 2023, according to court documents. The body parts were taken without the school’s knowledge or permission, authorities said, adding that the school has cooperated with the investigation.

Lodge sometimes took the body parts — which included heads, brains, skin and bones — back to his home where he lived with his wife, Denise, 63, and some remains were sent to buyers through the mail, authorities said. Lodge also allegedly allowed buyers to come to the morgue to pick what remains they wanted to buy.

Read more:

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

‘Some crimes defy understanding'

Thursday 15 June 2023 22:30 , Shweta Sharma

Mr Lodge sometimes took dissected body parts back to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, before transporting them.

Bodies are donated to the Harvard Medical School under the “Anatomical Gifts Program” and are to be used for education, teaching or research purposes.

After the school finishes using cadavers, they are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the family or buried in a cemetery.

“Some crimes defy understanding,” said US attorney Gerard M Karam.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

‘An abhorrent betrayal'

Thursday 15 June 2023 23:00 , AP

Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for education, teaching or research purposes. Once they are no longer needed, the cadavers are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the donor’s family or buried in a cemetery.

In a message posted on the school’s website entitled “An abhorrent betrayal,” deans George Daley and Edward Hundert called the matter “morally reprehensible.” They said Lodge was fired May 6.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus — a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” the deans wrote. “The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.”

Suspects charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods

Thursday 15 June 2023 23:30 , AP

The indictment charges the Lodges and three others — Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota — with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. It was not known Wednesday if any of the defendants had a lawyer who could comment on their behalf.

According to prosecutors, the defendants were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold remains stolen from the school and an Arkansas mortuary. The Lodges allegedly sold remains to Maclean, Taylor, and others in arrangements made through telephone calls and social media websites.

Taylor sometimes transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania, authorities said, while other times the Lodges would mail remains to him and others. Maclean and Taylor resold the stolen remains for profit, authorities said.

Suspects exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, prosecutors say

Friday 16 June 2023 00:00 , AP

Denise and Cedric Lodge both made their initial court appearances Wednesday in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, and were each released on personal recognizance bail. They declined to comment as they left the courthouse.

Two other people have been charged in the case.

Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, allegedly bought some remains from Candace Chapman Scott, of Little Rock, Arkansas, who allegedly stole them from a mortuary where she worked. Authorities have said Scott stole body parts from cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, noting many of the bodies had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by a medical school in Arkansas.

Pauley allegedly sold many of the stolen remains to other people, including individuals, including Lampi. Pauley and Lampi bought and sold from each other over an extended period of time and exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, authorities said.

Scott and Pauley have both pleaded not guilty.

Suspect shipped human skin and ‘engaged services to tan the skin to create leather'

Friday 16 June 2023 00:30 , Shweta Sharma

A statement from the Harvard Medical School’s deans on Wednesday, titled “An abhorrent betrayal”, said federal authorities had accused Mr Lodge of “having engaged in activities that are morally reprehensible”.

Katrina Maclean of Salem, who owns a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations, Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Mathew Lampi of East Bethel, Minnesota and the Lodges were charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Jeremy Pauley of Pennsylvania and Candace Chapman Scott of Arkansas were previously indicted.

Ms Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers from Harvard where she worked and sold the human remains that were supposed to be cremated.

This included the corpses of two stillborn babies supposed to have been cremated and returned to their families, the charging document said.

In 2021, Ms Maclean shipped human skin to Mr Pauley and “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, an indictment said, according to the New York Times. It was reportedly dissected faces she purchased for $600.

Ms Maclean runs a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations which advertises “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” on social media accounts. The accounts reveal she specialises in up-cycling dolls into gothic and horror novelties.

PayPal description states ‘head number 7'

Friday 16 June 2023 01:00 , Shweta Sharma

Harvard Medical School deans George Daley and Edward Hundert said they were “appalled” that something so disturbing happened on the campus of a community dedicated to healing and serving others.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research,” the statement said.

The charging document included a grim reference to a PayPal description of a payment of $1,000 that allegedly read “head number 7”.

The four defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after learning Harvard morgue worker accused of selling human remains

Friday 16 June 2023 01:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A niece who handed her aunt’s body to the Harvard Medical School has said that she feels “sick” after federal prosecutors have alleged that morgue staff sold body parts for profit.

Sarah Hill had an easy decision to make after the passing of her aunt Christine Eppich in March 2021 from pancreatic cancer. Ms Eppich had made clear that she wanted her body donated to Harvard for research and education.

“She was my favourite aunt. She worked with special needs children and adults and everyone loved Christine,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

Ms Hill said Ms Eppich had already made arrangements before her passing to have her remains handed over to the Harvard Anatomical programme. The family is now concerned about what could have happened to Ms Eppich’s remains following the allegations that morgue staff was selling body parts.

“It’s been a frantic 24 hours. I received Christine’s remains back this fall after not having them for two years,” Ms Hill told the local TV station. “You know you give your loved one to a program like Harvard and you think that everything will be done properly. And that people would never profit from something like this.”

Read more:

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after Harvard morgue worker accused of selling bodies

‘We as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible'

Friday 16 June 2023 02:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The former manager at the medical school’s morgue, Cedric Lodge, 55, his wife Denise Lodge, 63, and Kat’s Creepy Creations owner Katrina Maclean, 44, all face allegations that they sold body parts that were supposed to be used for research by the school. The crimes spanned several states, the allegations claim.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News. “And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

Legal filings state that some of the body parts were sold via Facebook and some transactions were processed through PayPal, with shipments being made by US Postal Service mail.

Federal prosecutors say that morgue manager stole organs and other body parts between 2018 and 2022

Friday 16 June 2023 02:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Federal prosecutors say that Mr Lodge stole organs and other body parts between 2018 and 2022 while serving as the manager of the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School. The remains were set to be used for medical research and education ahead of their planned cremations.

Ms Hill is the next of kin for Ms Eppich. She called the Harvard programme’s 24-hour hotline on Wednesday evening and she was told Ms Eppich was included on the list of those “potentially affected”.

Ms Hill said the person at the other end of the line said that not all bodies donated between 2018 and this year will appear on the list. The medical and dental programmes accepted donations of the bodies of people who had passed away at the ages of 18 and up.

The Department of Justice is trying to identify further victims and contact their families.

‘Heads, brains, skin and bones’: Everything we know about the Harvard Medical School body parts seller

Friday 16 June 2023 03:00 , Joe Sommerlad

“Some crimes defy understanding.”

That’s how US attorney Gerard M Karam summed up the ghoulish case of Cecil Lodge, the long-serving morgue manager of the prestigious Harvard Medical School (HMS), who, along with his wife Denise and five other people, has been charged with stealing and selling human remains donated to the facility and selling them on the black market.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human,” Mr Karam reflected.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

Mr Lodge, 55, was hired by the revered Ivy League institution in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1995 but was fired on 6 May this year for allegedly stealing “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers between 2018 and 2022 and selling them on to interested buyers, some of whom were seemingly allowed to tour the morgue to peruse which body parts they might like to acquire.

Read more:

Everything we know about the Harvard Medical School body parts case

Owner of shop specialising in ‘creepy dolls, oddities, and bone art’ arrested

Friday 16 June 2023 03:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Mr Lodge and his wife, 63, were arrested on Wednesday along with Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts – who owns a store in nearby Peabody called Kat’s Creepy Creations that specialises in “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” – Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota

The defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Two other people, Jeremy Pauley of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and Candace Chapman Scott of Little Rock, Arkansas, were previously indicted for buying and selling stolen body parts intended for cremation and pleaded not guilty.

Ms Maclean is accused of selling remains stolen by Mr Lodge to other buyers in multiple states, including to Mr Pauley, to whom she allegedly shipped a package of human skin in 2021 having “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, after which he sent it back to her, according to The New York Times.

Body parts sold in national network of traffickers trading in human remains

Friday 16 June 2023 04:00 , Joe Sommerlad

According to the federal indictment, Cecil Lodge would spirit the dissected body parts away from the HMS morgue and store them at his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire.

He and his wife would then sell them as part of a national network of traffickers trading in human remains, conducting transactions on Facebook and PayPal and cheerily making use of the US Postal Service, as though they were shipping collectible Beanie Babies.

“Head number 7” read one chillingly matter-of-fact PayPal description for one of these transactions, worth $1,000, according to the charging document.

Bodies donated by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science

Friday 16 June 2023 04:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Bodies are routinely donated to HMS under its “Anatomical Gifts Program” by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science rather than be buried in a cemetery plot or cremated – on the strict understanding that they will be used for educational, teaching or research purposes only – before they are finally laid to rest in a respectful manner in accordance with the deceased’s wishes.

‘We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus'

Friday 16 June 2023 05:00 , Joe Sommerlad

In response to the indictment and arrest of Lodge and his alleged accomplices, the deans of Harvard University’s faculty of medicine and of HMS’s department of medical education, George Q Daley and Edward M Hundert, issued a statement on Wednesday labelling the conduct they stand accused of “an abhorrent betrayal”.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus – a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” they wrote.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.

“We are so very sorry for the pain this news will cause for our anatomical donors’ families and loved ones and HMS pledges to engage with them during this deeply distressing time.”

Niece of woman on ‘potentially affected’ list speaks out

Friday 16 June 2023 05:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Among those to have come forward to express their horror has been Sarah Hill, whose beloved aunt Christine Eppich donated her body to HMS as part of the program following her death from pancreatic cancer in March 2021.

Ms Hill said she had called the 24-hour hotline set up by the HMS to answer relatives’ concerns when the news of Lodge’s arrest broke and said she felt “sick” when she was informed that her aunt’s name was on the institution’s “potentially affected list”.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other, you know, disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

“And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

‘Two dissected faces’ bought for $600

Friday 16 June 2023 06:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

Friday 16 June 2023 07:15 , Shweta Sharma

A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife were among five people who have been charged with stealing and selling human remains.

Cedric Lodge, who was fired on 6 May, allegedly stole “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers that were donated to the school, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania said on Wednesday.

He and his wife Denise sold the body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and transferred them via the postal service to clients who intended to tan skin into leather in one instance, according to the indictment.

The scheme, which is part of a larger black market, is alleged to have been running for five years, from 2018 to 2022.

Mr Lodge, who was hired by Harvard in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, allegedly allowed potential buyers into the school’s morgue to choose what parts to buy at times.

Read more:

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

Friday 16 June 2023 08:00 , AP

A former manager at the Harvard Medical School morgue, his wife and three other people have been indicted in the theft and sale of human body parts, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Wednesday.

Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the school in the scheme that stretched from 2018 to early 2023, according to court documents. The body parts were taken without the school’s knowledge or permission, authorities said, adding that the school has cooperated with the investigation.

Lodge sometimes took the body parts — which included heads, brains, skin and bones — back to his home where he lived with his wife, Denise, 63, and some remains were sent to buyers through the mail, authorities said. Lodge also allegedly allowed buyers to come to the morgue to pick what remains they wanted to buy.

Read more:

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

‘Some crimes defy understanding'

Friday 16 June 2023 08:45 , Shweta Sharma

Mr Lodge sometimes took dissected body parts back to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, before transporting them.

Bodies are donated to the Harvard Medical School under the “Anatomical Gifts Program” and are to be used for education, teaching or research purposes.

After the school finishes using cadavers, they are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the family or buried in a cemetery.

“Some crimes defy understanding,” said US attorney Gerard M Karam.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

‘An abhorrent betrayal'

Friday 16 June 2023 09:30 , AP

Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for education, teaching or research purposes. Once they are no longer needed, the cadavers are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the donor’s family or buried in a cemetery.

In a message posted on the school’s website entitled “An abhorrent betrayal,” deans George Daley and Edward Hundert called the matter “morally reprehensible.” They said Lodge was fired May 6.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus — a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” the deans wrote. “The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.”

Suspects charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods

Friday 16 June 2023 10:15 , AP

The indictment charges the Lodges and three others — Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota — with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. It was not known Wednesday if any of the defendants had a lawyer who could comment on their behalf.

According to prosecutors, the defendants were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold remains stolen from the school and an Arkansas mortuary. The Lodges allegedly sold remains to Maclean, Taylor, and others in arrangements made through telephone calls and social media websites.

Taylor sometimes transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania, authorities said, while other times the Lodges would mail remains to him and others. Maclean and Taylor resold the stolen remains for profit, authorities said.

Suspects exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, prosecutors say

Friday 16 June 2023 11:00 , AP

Denise and Cedric Lodge both made their initial court appearances Wednesday in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, and were each released on personal recognizance bail. They declined to comment as they left the courthouse.

Two other people have been charged in the case.

Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, allegedly bought some remains from Candace Chapman Scott, of Little Rock, Arkansas, who allegedly stole them from a mortuary where she worked. Authorities have said Scott stole body parts from cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, noting many of the bodies had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by a medical school in Arkansas.

Pauley allegedly sold many of the stolen remains to other people, including individuals, including Lampi. Pauley and Lampi bought and sold from each other over an extended period of time and exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, authorities said.

Scott and Pauley have both pleaded not guilty.

Suspect shipped human skin and ‘engaged services to tan the skin to create leather'

Friday 16 June 2023 11:45 , Shweta Sharma

A statement from the Harvard Medical School’s deans on Wednesday, titled “An abhorrent betrayal”, said federal authorities had accused Mr Lodge of “having engaged in activities that are morally reprehensible”.

Katrina Maclean of Salem, who owns a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations, Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Mathew Lampi of East Bethel, Minnesota and the Lodges were charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Jeremy Pauley of Pennsylvania and Candace Chapman Scott of Arkansas were previously indicted.

Ms Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers from Harvard where she worked and sold the human remains that were supposed to be cremated.

This included the corpses of two stillborn babies supposed to have been cremated and returned to their families, the charging document said.

In 2021, Ms Maclean shipped human skin to Mr Pauley and “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, an indictment said, according to the New York Times. It was reportedly dissected faces she purchased for $600.

Ms Maclean runs a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations which advertises “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” on social media accounts. The accounts reveal she specialises in up-cycling dolls into gothic and horror novelties.

PayPal description states ‘head number 7'

Friday 16 June 2023 12:30 , Shweta Sharma

Harvard Medical School deans George Daley and Edward Hundert said they were “appalled” that something so disturbing happened on the campus of a community dedicated to healing and serving others.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research,” the statement said.

The charging document included a grim reference to a PayPal description of a payment of $1,000 that allegedly read “head number 7”.

The four defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after learning Harvard morgue worker accused of selling human remains

Friday 16 June 2023 13:15 , Gustaf Kilander

A niece who handed her aunt’s body to the Harvard Medical School has said that she feels “sick” after federal prosecutors have alleged that morgue staff sold body parts for profit.

Sarah Hill had an easy decision to make after the passing of her aunt Christine Eppich in March 2021 from pancreatic cancer. Ms Eppich had made clear that she wanted her body donated to Harvard for research and education.

“She was my favourite aunt. She worked with special needs children and adults and everyone loved Christine,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

Ms Hill said Ms Eppich had already made arrangements before her passing to have her remains handed over to the Harvard Anatomical programme. The family is now concerned about what could have happened to Ms Eppich’s remains following the allegations that morgue staff was selling body parts.

“It’s been a frantic 24 hours. I received Christine’s remains back this fall after not having them for two years,” Ms Hill told the local TV station. “You know you give your loved one to a program like Harvard and you think that everything will be done properly. And that people would never profit from something like this.”

Read more:

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after Harvard morgue worker accused of selling bodies

‘We as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible'

Friday 16 June 2023 14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The former manager at the medical school’s morgue, Cedric Lodge, 55, his wife Denise Lodge, 63, and Kat’s Creepy Creations owner Katrina Maclean, 44, all face allegations that they sold body parts that were supposed to be used for research by the school. The crimes spanned several states, the allegations claim.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News. “And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

Legal filings state that some of the body parts were sold via Facebook and some transactions were processed through PayPal, with shipments being made by US Postal Service mail.

Woman whose father was affected by trafficking says family felt ‘sick, like we were going to throw up'

Friday 16 June 2023 14:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A woman whose father is alleged to have been affected by the scheme to sell body parts from the Harvard Medical School Morgue has spoken out, saying that her family “were just disgusted” by the news.

Paula Peltonovich’s father Nicholas Pichowicz said in his will that he wanted his remains to be donated to the school. He died in 2019, aged 87.

Ms Peltonovich told The Boston Globe that she reached out to Harvard after she found out about the indictment against morgue staff.

The family felt “Sick, like we were going to throw up,” she added, saying that her father “was a victim” of the trafficking.

“It’s just unthinkable. There’s no words,” she said.

Ms Peltonovich’s mother’s remains were also donated to the school.

“We want her returned, so we can bury her,” she told the paper. “We don’t even want them to cremate her.”

‘Disgusted’: Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager

Friday 16 June 2023 15:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A woman whose father is alleged to have been affected by the scheme to sell body parts from the Harvard Medical School Morgue has spoken out, saying that her family “were just disgusted” by the news.

Paula Peltonovich’s father Nicholas Pichowicz said in his will that he wanted his remains to be donated to the school. He died in 2019, aged 87.

Ms Peltonovich told The Boston Globe that she reached out to Harvard after she found out about the indictment against morgue staff.

The family felt “sick, like we were going to throw up,” she added, saying that her father “was a victim” of the trafficking.

“It’s just unthinkable. There’s no words,” she said.

Read more:

Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager

VIDEO: Harvard Medical School donated body parts stolen, sold by former morgue manager

Friday 16 June 2023 15:30 , Gustaf Kilander

‘It was like I was hit by a tsunami of emotion'

Friday 16 June 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Amy Dasch lost her husband Jim to cancer when he was 61 years old. His dying wish was to have his remains donated to Harvard Medical School for research. His ashes were returned to her but now there’s the possibility that parts of his body were sold in the scheme that has led to the indictment of several people.

She called the hotline set up by the university, learning that her husband was a part of the case.

“I started feeling really angry about the people doing this and how horrible and incredible and macabre the situation is,” she told WCVB. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“‘Sorry to tell you … your husband’s name is on our list,’” she recalled being told by the school. “It was like I was hit by a tsunami of emotion.”

But Ms Dasch said she hopes this won’t discourage others from donating their remains after passing.

“I hope this raises awareness about the need for donation, and I hope it completely changes the way Harvard and medical schools deal with donations,” she told the local outlet. “It’s helping me remember what a gift it was to know and honour his wishes.”

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

Friday 16 June 2023 16:30 , AP

A former manager at the Harvard Medical School morgue, his wife and three other people have been indicted in the theft and sale of human body parts, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Wednesday.

Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the school in the scheme that stretched from 2018 to early 2023, according to court documents. The body parts were taken without the school’s knowledge or permission, authorities said, adding that the school has cooperated with the investigation.

Lodge sometimes took the body parts — which included heads, brains, skin and bones — back to his home where he lived with his wife, Denise, 63, and some remains were sent to buyers through the mail, authorities said. Lodge also allegedly allowed buyers to come to the morgue to pick what remains they wanted to buy.

Read more:

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

‘Some crimes defy understanding'

Friday 16 June 2023 17:00 , Shweta Sharma

Mr Lodge sometimes took dissected body parts back to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, before transporting them.

Bodies are donated to the Harvard Medical School under the “Anatomical Gifts Program” and are to be used for education, teaching or research purposes.

After the school finishes using cadavers, they are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the family or buried in a cemetery.

“Some crimes defy understanding,” said US attorney Gerard M Karam.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

‘An abhorrent betrayal'

Friday 16 June 2023 17:30 , AP

Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for education, teaching or research purposes. Once they are no longer needed, the cadavers are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the donor’s family or buried in a cemetery.

In a message posted on the school’s website entitled “An abhorrent betrayal,” deans George Daley and Edward Hundert called the matter “morally reprehensible.” They said Lodge was fired May 6.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus — a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” the deans wrote. “The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.”

Suspects charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods

Friday 16 June 2023 18:00 , AP

The indictment charges the Lodges and three others — Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota — with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. It was not known Wednesday if any of the defendants had a lawyer who could comment on their behalf.

According to prosecutors, the defendants were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold remains stolen from the school and an Arkansas mortuary. The Lodges allegedly sold remains to Maclean, Taylor, and others in arrangements made through telephone calls and social media websites.

Taylor sometimes transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania, authorities said, while other times the Lodges would mail remains to him and others. Maclean and Taylor resold the stolen remains for profit, authorities said.

Suspects exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, prosecutors say

Friday 16 June 2023 18:30 , AP

Denise and Cedric Lodge both made their initial court appearances Wednesday in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, and were each released on personal recognizance bail. They declined to comment as they left the courthouse.

Two other people have been charged in the case.

Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, allegedly bought some remains from Candace Chapman Scott, of Little Rock, Arkansas, who allegedly stole them from a mortuary where she worked. Authorities have said Scott stole body parts from cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, noting many of the bodies had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by a medical school in Arkansas.

Pauley allegedly sold many of the stolen remains to other people, including individuals, including Lampi. Pauley and Lampi bought and sold from each other over an extended period of time and exchanged more than $100,000 in online payments, authorities said.

Scott and Pauley have both pleaded not guilty.

Suspect shipped human skin and ‘engaged services to tan the skin to create leather'

Friday 16 June 2023 19:00 , Shweta Sharma

A statement from the Harvard Medical School’s deans on Wednesday, titled “An abhorrent betrayal”, said federal authorities had accused Mr Lodge of “having engaged in activities that are morally reprehensible”.

Katrina Maclean of Salem, who owns a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations, Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Mathew Lampi of East Bethel, Minnesota and the Lodges were charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Jeremy Pauley of Pennsylvania and Candace Chapman Scott of Arkansas were previously indicted.

Ms Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers from Harvard where she worked and sold the human remains that were supposed to be cremated.

This included the corpses of two stillborn babies supposed to have been cremated and returned to their families, the charging document said.

In 2021, Ms Maclean shipped human skin to Mr Pauley and “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, an indictment said, according to the New York Times. It was reportedly dissected faces she purchased for $600.

Ms Maclean runs a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations which advertises “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” on social media accounts. The accounts reveal she specialises in up-cycling dolls into gothic and horror novelties.

PayPal description states ‘head number 7'

Friday 16 June 2023 19:30 , Shweta Sharma

Harvard Medical School deans George Daley and Edward Hundert said they were “appalled” that something so disturbing happened on the campus of a community dedicated to healing and serving others.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research,” the statement said.

The charging document included a grim reference to a PayPal description of a payment of $1,000 that allegedly read “head number 7”.

The four defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after learning Harvard morgue worker accused of selling human remains

Friday 16 June 2023 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A niece who handed her aunt’s body to the Harvard Medical School has said that she feels “sick” after federal prosecutors have alleged that morgue staff sold body parts for profit.

Sarah Hill had an easy decision to make after the passing of her aunt Christine Eppich in March 2021 from pancreatic cancer. Ms Eppich had made clear that she wanted her body donated to Harvard for research and education.

“She was my favourite aunt. She worked with special needs children and adults and everyone loved Christine,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

Ms Hill said Ms Eppich had already made arrangements before her passing to have her remains handed over to the Harvard Anatomical programme. The family is now concerned about what could have happened to Ms Eppich’s remains following the allegations that morgue staff was selling body parts.

“It’s been a frantic 24 hours. I received Christine’s remains back this fall after not having them for two years,” Ms Hill told the local TV station. “You know you give your loved one to a program like Harvard and you think that everything will be done properly. And that people would never profit from something like this.”

Read more:

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after Harvard morgue worker accused of selling bodies

‘We as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible'

Friday 16 June 2023 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander

The former manager at the medical school’s morgue, Cedric Lodge, 55, his wife Denise Lodge, 63, and Kat’s Creepy Creations owner Katrina Maclean, 44, all face allegations that they sold body parts that were supposed to be used for research by the school. The crimes spanned several states, the allegations claim.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News. “And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

Legal filings state that some of the body parts were sold via Facebook and some transactions were processed through PayPal, with shipments being made by US Postal Service mail.

Federal prosecutors say that morgue manager stole organs and other body parts between 2018 and 2022

Friday 16 June 2023 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Federal prosecutors say that Mr Lodge stole organs and other body parts between 2018 and 2022 while serving as the manager of the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School. The remains were set to be used for medical research and education ahead of their planned cremations.

Ms Hill is the next of kin for Ms Eppich. She called the Harvard programme’s 24-hour hotline on Wednesday evening and she was told Ms Eppich was included on the list of those “potentially affected”.

Ms Hill said the person at the other end of the line said that not all bodies donated between 2018 and this year will appear on the list. The medical and dental programmes accepted donations of the bodies of people who had passed away at the ages of 18 and up.

The Department of Justice is trying to identify further victims and contact their families.

‘Heads, brains, skin and bones’: Everything we know about the Harvard Medical School body parts seller

Friday 16 June 2023 21:30 , Joe Sommerlad

“Some crimes defy understanding.”

That’s how US attorney Gerard M Karam summed up the ghoulish case of Cecil Lodge, the long-serving morgue manager of the prestigious Harvard Medical School (HMS), who, along with his wife Denise and five other people, has been charged with stealing and selling human remains donated to the facility and selling them on the black market.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human,” Mr Karam reflected.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

Mr Lodge, 55, was hired by the revered Ivy League institution in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1995 but was fired on 6 May this year for allegedly stealing “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers between 2018 and 2022 and selling them on to interested buyers, some of whom were seemingly allowed to tour the morgue to peruse which body parts they might like to acquire.

Read more:

Everything we know about the Harvard Medical School body parts case

Owner of shop specialising in ‘creepy dolls, oddities, and bone art’ arrested

Friday 16 June 2023 22:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Mr Lodge and his wife, 63, were arrested on Wednesday along with Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts – who owns a store in nearby Peabody called Kat’s Creepy Creations that specialises in “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” – Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota

The defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Two other people, Jeremy Pauley of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and Candace Chapman Scott of Little Rock, Arkansas, were previously indicted for buying and selling stolen body parts intended for cremation and pleaded not guilty.

Ms Maclean is accused of selling remains stolen by Mr Lodge to other buyers in multiple states, including to Mr Pauley, to whom she allegedly shipped a package of human skin in 2021 having “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, after which he sent it back to her, according to The New York Times.

Body parts sold in national network of traffickers trading in human remains

Friday 16 June 2023 22:30 , Joe Sommerlad

According to the federal indictment, Cecil Lodge would spirit the dissected body parts away from the HMS morgue and store them at his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire.

He and his wife would then sell them as part of a national network of traffickers trading in human remains, conducting transactions on Facebook and PayPal and cheerily making use of the US Postal Service, as though they were shipping collectible Beanie Babies.

“Head number 7” read one chillingly matter-of-fact PayPal description for one of these transactions, worth $1,000, according to the charging document.

Bodies donated by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science

Friday 16 June 2023 23:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Bodies are routinely donated to HMS under its “Anatomical Gifts Program” by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science rather than be buried in a cemetery plot or cremated – on the strict understanding that they will be used for educational, teaching or research purposes only – before they are finally laid to rest in a respectful manner in accordance with the deceased’s wishes.

‘We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus'

Friday 16 June 2023 23:30 , Joe Sommerlad

In response to the indictment and arrest of Lodge and his alleged accomplices, the deans of Harvard University’s faculty of medicine and of HMS’s department of medical education, George Q Daley and Edward M Hundert, issued a statement on Wednesday labelling the conduct they stand accused of “an abhorrent betrayal”.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus – a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” they wrote.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.

“We are so very sorry for the pain this news will cause for our anatomical donors’ families and loved ones and HMS pledges to engage with them during this deeply distressing time.”

Niece of woman on ‘potentially affected’ list speaks out

Saturday 17 June 2023 00:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Among those to have come forward to express their horror has been Sarah Hill, whose beloved aunt Christine Eppich donated her body to HMS as part of the program following her death from pancreatic cancer in March 2021.

Ms Hill said she had called the 24-hour hotline set up by the HMS to answer relatives’ concerns when the news of Lodge’s arrest broke and said she felt “sick” when she was informed that her aunt’s name was on the institution’s “potentially affected list”.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other, you know, disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

“And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

‘Two dissected faces’ bought for $600

Saturday 17 June 2023 00:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

01:00 , Shweta Sharma

A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife were among five people who have been charged with stealing and selling human remains.

Cedric Lodge, who was fired on 6 May, allegedly stole “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers that were donated to the school, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania said on Wednesday.

He and his wife Denise sold the body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and transferred them via the postal service to clients who intended to tan skin into leather in one instance, according to the indictment.

The scheme, which is part of a larger black market, is alleged to have been running for five years, from 2018 to 2022.

Mr Lodge, who was hired by Harvard in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, allegedly allowed potential buyers into the school’s morgue to choose what parts to buy at times.

Read more:

Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

01:30 , AP

A former manager at the Harvard Medical School morgue, his wife and three other people have been indicted in the theft and sale of human body parts, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Wednesday.

Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the school in the scheme that stretched from 2018 to early 2023, according to court documents. The body parts were taken without the school’s knowledge or permission, authorities said, adding that the school has cooperated with the investigation.

Lodge sometimes took the body parts — which included heads, brains, skin and bones — back to his home where he lived with his wife, Denise, 63, and some remains were sent to buyers through the mail, authorities said. Lodge also allegedly allowed buyers to come to the morgue to pick what remains they wanted to buy.

Read more:

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

‘Some crimes defy understanding'

02:00 , Shweta Sharma

Mr Lodge sometimes took dissected body parts back to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, before transporting them.

Bodies are donated to the Harvard Medical School under the “Anatomical Gifts Program” and are to be used for education, teaching or research purposes.

After the school finishes using cadavers, they are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the family or buried in a cemetery.

“Some crimes defy understanding,” said US attorney Gerard M Karam.

“The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human.

“It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.”

‘An abhorrent betrayal'

02:30 , AP

Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for education, teaching or research purposes. Once they are no longer needed, the cadavers are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the donor’s family or buried in a cemetery.

In a message posted on the school’s website entitled “An abhorrent betrayal,” deans George Daley and Edward Hundert called the matter “morally reprehensible.” They said Lodge was fired May 6.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus — a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” the deans wrote. “The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.”

Suspect shipped human skin and ‘engaged services to tan the skin to create leather'

03:00 , Shweta Sharma

A statement from the Harvard Medical School’s deans on Wednesday, titled “An abhorrent betrayal”, said federal authorities had accused Mr Lodge of “having engaged in activities that are morally reprehensible”.

Katrina Maclean of Salem, who owns a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations, Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Mathew Lampi of East Bethel, Minnesota and the Lodges were charged with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Jeremy Pauley of Pennsylvania and Candace Chapman Scott of Arkansas were previously indicted.

Ms Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers from Harvard where she worked and sold the human remains that were supposed to be cremated.

This included the corpses of two stillborn babies supposed to have been cremated and returned to their families, the charging document said.

In 2021, Ms Maclean shipped human skin to Mr Pauley and “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, an indictment said, according to the New York Times. It was reportedly dissected faces she purchased for $600.

Ms Maclean runs a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations which advertises “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” on social media accounts. The accounts reveal she specialises in up-cycling dolls into gothic and horror novelties.

PayPal description states ‘head number 7'

03:30 , Shweta Sharma

Harvard Medical School deans George Daley and Edward Hundert said they were “appalled” that something so disturbing happened on the campus of a community dedicated to healing and serving others.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research,” the statement said.

The charging document included a grim reference to a PayPal description of a payment of $1,000 that allegedly read “head number 7”.

The four defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after learning Harvard morgue worker accused of selling human remains

04:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A niece who handed her aunt’s body to the Harvard Medical School has said that she feels “sick” after federal prosecutors have alleged that morgue staff sold body parts for profit.

Sarah Hill had an easy decision to make after the passing of her aunt Christine Eppich in March 2021 from pancreatic cancer. Ms Eppich had made clear that she wanted her body donated to Harvard for research and education.

“She was my favourite aunt. She worked with special needs children and adults and everyone loved Christine,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News.

Ms Hill said Ms Eppich had already made arrangements before her passing to have her remains handed over to the Harvard Anatomical programme. The family is now concerned about what could have happened to Ms Eppich’s remains following the allegations that morgue staff was selling body parts.

“It’s been a frantic 24 hours. I received Christine’s remains back this fall after not having them for two years,” Ms Hill told the local TV station. “You know you give your loved one to a program like Harvard and you think that everything will be done properly. And that people would never profit from something like this.”

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Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after Harvard morgue worker accused of selling bodies

‘We as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible'

04:30 , Gustaf Kilander

The former manager at the medical school’s morgue, Cedric Lodge, 55, his wife Denise Lodge, 63, and Kat’s Creepy Creations owner Katrina Maclean, 44, all face allegations that they sold body parts that were supposed to be used for research by the school. The crimes spanned several states, the allegations claim.

“Christine wanted other people to benefit from her passing so that she could be studied. So that the doctors of the future or tomorrow could study her body and find not only a cure for pancreatic cancer but for some other disease,” Ms Hill told Boston 25 News. “And we as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.”

Legal filings state that some of the body parts were sold via Facebook and some transactions were processed through PayPal, with shipments being made by US Postal Service mail.

Woman whose father was affected by trafficking says family felt ‘sick, like we were going to throw up'

05:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A woman whose father is alleged to have been affected by the scheme to sell body parts from the Harvard Medical School Morgue has spoken out, saying that her family “were just disgusted” by the news.

Paula Peltonovich’s father Nicholas Pichowicz said in his will that he wanted his remains to be donated to the school. He died in 2019, aged 87.

Ms Peltonovich told The Boston Globe that she reached out to Harvard after she found out about the indictment against morgue staff.

The family felt “Sick, like we were going to throw up,” she added, saying that her father “was a victim” of the trafficking.

“It’s just unthinkable. There’s no words,” she said.

Ms Peltonovich’s mother’s remains were also donated to the school.

“We want her returned, so we can bury her,” she told the paper. “We don’t even want them to cremate her.”

VIDEO: Harvard Medical School donated body parts stolen, sold by former morgue manager

06:00 , Gustaf Kilander

‘Disgusted’: Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager

07:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A woman whose father is alleged to have been affected by the scheme to sell body parts from the Harvard Medical School Morgue has spoken out, saying that her family “were just disgusted” by the news.

Paula Peltonovich’s father Nicholas Pichowicz said in his will that he wanted his remains to be donated to the school. He died in 2019, aged 87.

Ms Peltonovich told The Boston Globe that she reached out to Harvard after she found out about the indictment against morgue staff.

The family felt “sick, like we were going to throw up,” she added, saying that her father “was a victim” of the trafficking.

“It’s just unthinkable. There’s no words,” she said.

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Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager

‘It was like I was hit by a tsunami of emotion'

08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Amy Dasch lost her husband Jim to cancer when he was 61 years old. His dying wish was to have his remains donated to Harvard Medical School for research. His ashes were returned to her but now there’s the possibility that parts of his body were sold in the scheme that has led to the indictment of several people.

She called the hotline set up by the university, learning that her husband was a part of the case.

“I started feeling really angry about the people doing this and how horrible and incredible and macabre the situation is,” she told WCVB. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“‘Sorry to tell you … your husband’s name is on our list,’” she recalled being told by the school. “It was like I was hit by a tsunami of emotion.”

But Ms Dasch said she hopes this won’t discourage others from donating their remains after passing.

“I hope this raises awareness about the need for donation, and I hope it completely changes the way Harvard and medical schools deal with donations,” she told the local outlet. “It’s helping me remember what a gift it was to know and honour his wishes.”

VIDEO: Harvard Morgue Manager Was Selling Body Parts

09:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Owner of shop specialising in ‘creepy dolls, oddities, and bone art’ arrested

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Mr Lodge and his wife, 63, were arrested on Wednesday along with Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts – who owns a store in nearby Peabody called Kat’s Creepy Creations that specialises in “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art” – Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota

The defendants in the case face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods.

Two other people, Jeremy Pauley of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and Candace Chapman Scott of Little Rock, Arkansas, were previously indicted for buying and selling stolen body parts intended for cremation and pleaded not guilty.

Ms Maclean is accused of selling remains stolen by Mr Lodge to other buyers in multiple states, including to Mr Pauley, to whom she allegedly shipped a package of human skin in 2021 having “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather”, after which he sent it back to her, according to The New York Times.

Body parts sold in national network of traffickers trading in human remains

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

According to the federal indictment, Cecil Lodge would spirit the dissected body parts away from the HMS morgue and store them at his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire.

He and his wife would then sell them as part of a national network of traffickers trading in human remains, conducting transactions on Facebook and PayPal and cheerily making use of the US Postal Service, as though they were shipping collectible Beanie Babies.

“Head number 7” read one chillingly matter-of-fact PayPal description for one of these transactions, worth $1,000, according to the charging document.

Bodies donated by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Bodies are routinely donated to HMS under its “Anatomical Gifts Program” by people who prefer the idea of leaving their earthly remains to science rather than be buried in a cemetery plot or cremated – on the strict understanding that they will be used for educational, teaching or research purposes only – before they are finally laid to rest in a respectful manner in accordance with the deceased’s wishes.

‘We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus'

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

In response to the indictment and arrest of Lodge and his alleged accomplices, the deans of Harvard University’s faculty of medicine and of HMS’s department of medical education, George Q Daley and Edward M Hundert, issued a statement on Wednesday labelling the conduct they stand accused of “an abhorrent betrayal”.

“We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus – a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” they wrote.

“The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.

“We are so very sorry for the pain this news will cause for our anatomical donors’ families and loved ones and HMS pledges to engage with them during this deeply distressing time.”

‘Disgusted’: Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager

14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A woman whose father is alleged to have been affected by the scheme to sell body parts from the Harvard Medical School Morgue has spoken out, saying that her family “were just disgusted” by the news.

Paula Peltonovich’s father Nicholas Pichowicz said in his will that he wanted his remains to be donated to the school. He died in 2019, aged 87.

Ms Peltonovich told The Boston Globe that she reached out to Harvard after she found out about the indictment against morgue staff.

The family felt “sick, like we were going to throw up,” she added, saying that her father “was a victim” of the trafficking.

“It’s just unthinkable. There’s no words,” she said.

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Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager