Delaware County Man Accused Of Stealing Bones From Mount Moriah Cemetery

Estate planning lawyers often warn their clients that, even if they do not own any property that anyone would want to inherit, they should still write a will, and in it they should indicate where they want to be buried. Probate courts have ruled on bitter disputes when one family member says that the decedent was buried in a cemetery other than the one that he or she would have wanted as a final resting place. The courts consistently affirm that, once human remains are buried, they become part of the earth; they do not issue orders to disinter bodies unless there is a compelling reason to do so, such as a criminal investigation. Thus, removing human remains from a graveyard without authorization is a crime. Many enthusiasts of horror movies with realistic depictions of violent deaths, and true crime podcasts that tell the stories of real murders in detail, find the thought of grave robbing disturbing. Despite this, law enforcement has found evidence of online networks where people arrange to buy and sell bones stolen from graveyards. If you are under investigation for macabre transactions like these, contact a Pittsburgh theft crimes lawyer.

What Is So Special About Mount Moriah Cemetery?

Mount Moriah Cemetery, near Philadelphia, is as old as the United States itself. The oldest graves date back to the American Revolution, and it even contains a monument to Betsy Ross, a seamstress who, according to legend, sewed the first American flag and may have been buried at Mount Moriah. Despite its historical significance, the cemetery does not have a security fence or surveillance cameras, nor is it continuously monitored in person.

In the News

Drugs are not the only thing that people can buy and sell illegally online, nor are they the most unnerving thing that police can find when searching a house for evidence of a crime. Monitoring of online communications by people claiming to buy and sell human remains led to an investigation into the activities of Jonathan Gerlach of Yeadon. The investigation intensified when a witness told police that he had visited Gerlach’s house and seen human bones in the basement; the witness believed that Gerlach had stolen the bones from a cemetery. Traffic cameras that photograph license plates showed that Gerlach’s vehicle frequented the vicinity of Mount Moriah.

On January 6, police arrested Gerlach in his car near the cemetery. In the backseat, they found a burlap sack that contained human bones and what appeared to be the mummified remains of two children. They later searched his house and found that the basement contained several complete skeletons, plus bones that appeared to have come from hundreds of bodies. Gerlach, 34, is now facing hundreds of criminal charges for abuse of corpses, desecration of public monuments, and related offenses.

Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to stealing from a cemetery.  Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.

Source:

theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/14/pennsylvania-grave-robbery-human-remains