Overview
- Detectives arrested Jonathan Gerlach on Jan. 6 after surveillance at Mount Moriah Cemetery observed bones in his car and watched him leave with a burlap bag and a crowbar.
- Searches of his Ephrata home and a storage unit recovered more than 100 human skulls and other remains, including infant remains and one with a pacemaker attached.
- Prosecutors filed nearly 500 counts spanning burglary, abuse of a corpse, theft, desecration, and related offenses, and he is being held on $1 million bail.
- Investigators documented 26 mausoleums and underground vaults forced open or damaged since Nov. 7, with records placing the suspect at the cemetery multiple times in late 2025.
- Authorities are examining whether remains were sold through online groups and whether thefts extend beyond Mount Moriah, with a preliminary hearing set for Jan. 20.