PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The man accused of stealing more than 100 skeletal remains from local cemeteries earlier this year is now facing new charges.
In January, 34-year-old Jonathan Gerlach was arrested near the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery. He had human skulls and bones inside the back seat of his car, more than 100 sets of human remains inside his Lancaster County home, and eight more inside a storage locker.
Authorities said Gerlach got the bones by breaking into mausoleums and large gravesites at Mount Moriah as well as a cemetery in Luzerne County. He posted about collecting and selling skeletons on Instagram. Delaware County’s District Attorney described it as a “horror movie come to life.”
Last month, his preliminary hearing was postponed after he did not show up at the Delaware County Courthouse. On Friday, he had his hair in a bun and wore reading glasses as he waived his preliminary hearing at the very same courthouse.
Four burglary charges were dropped after prosecutors said the mausoleums at Mount Moriah were not broken into. But two burglary charges were added — one for Luzerne County and the other for Lancaster County.
“It just made me sick in my stomach to think anybody would want to do that,” said Judy Pritchard McCleary. The mausoleum of her great-great-grandfather, Jonathan Prichard, was broken into at Mount Moriah. Her great-great-aunt's remains were taken.
She said she will continue to show up and make sure justice is served.
“I don't believe my relatives were there. I believe their souls are in heaven, but I still think it's disruptive. And when you die, and you're buried, you should be left alone.”
A formal arraignment is scheduled for June 3.
