Man Accused of Plundering Mount Moriah Cemetery Held on $1 Million Bail After 100+ Skulls Found

Overview

• Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, was arrested near the Philadelphia-area cemetery after officers saw bones in his car and detained him returning to the vehicle.
• Searches of his home and a storage site uncovered more than 100 human skulls and other remains in varied conditions, according to prosecutors.
• Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said the scene included remains that were hanging, reconstructed, or arranged as skulls on shelves.
• Authorities say Gerlach confessed to taking about 30 sets of remains and pointed investigators to specific graves he admitted violating.
• Prosecutors have filed hundreds of counts tied to mausoleum break-ins since early November, with reports citing totals of more than 400 and up to 496, and evidence includes jewelry and a pacemaker being examined for links to victims.