Disturbing: Harvard Medical School Morgue Manager Charged With Body Parts Trafficking

Cursory: A former manager of a morgue at Harvard Medical School, along with his wife and three others, has been charged in connection with the theft and sale of human body parts. Cedric Lodge, aged 55, from Goffstown, New Hampshire, allegedly stole dissected portions of cadavers that had been donated to the school between 2018 and 2023. Lodge would sometimes bring the stolen body parts, including heads, brains, skin, and bones, to his home where he resided with his wife, Denise. Some of the remains were allegedly sent to buyers through the mail. See full details…

A former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, his wife, and three other people have been charged over the theft and sale of human body parts.

Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the school between 2018 and 2023, according to court documents.

According to federal prosecutors, the theft of body parts occurred without the knowledge or permission of Harvard University. The university has cooperated with the investigation. Cedric Lodge and his wife Denise allegedly took various body parts, such as heads, brains, skin, and bones, to their home.

It is claimed that some of these remains were sent to buyers through postal services. Lodge is also accused of allowing customers to visit the morgue and choose which body parts they wanted to purchase.

When bodies are donated to Harvard Medical School, they are utilized for educational, teaching, or research purposes.

After they have served their purpose, the cadavers are typically cremated, and the ashes are either returned to the donor’s family or laid to rest in a cemetery.

Deans George Daley and Edward Hundert expressed their strong condemnation of these actions in a message titled “An abhorrent betrayal” posted on the school’s website.

They described the matter as morally reprehensible and stated that Lodge was terminated from his position on 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.”

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.

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 reportedly coordinated the sale of the stolen remains to individuals such as Maclean and Taylor through phone calls and social media.

According to authorities, Taylor occasionally transported the stolen remains to Pennsylvania, while at other times, the Lodges would send the remains to him and others.

Maclean and Taylor allegedly engaged in the resale of the stolen remains for financial gain.Denise and Cedric Lodge appeared in court for their initial hearings in Concord, New Hampshire, and were both granted bail.

They chose not to provide any comments as they left the court. Additionally, apart from the five previously mentioned defendants, two others have been implicated in the case.

Jeremy Pauley, aged 41 and from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, allegedly purchased some of the remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who is from Little Rock, Arkansas. It is alleged that Scott stole the remains from a mortuary where she was employed.

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 both pleaded not guilty.

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 both pleaded not guilty.

Source: skynews

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