Trigger Warning: This article contains disturbing details about human remains. Reader discretion is advised.
In a haunting turn of events, police have uncovered a chilling basement in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, full of human skulls and remains, including mummified infants. According to CBS, local authorities have arrested Jonathan Gerlach for grave-robbing after he was caught red-handed.
The felon was caught with a burlap containing the mummified remains of 2 children, 3 human skulls, and a few bones. Although there were hundreds of remains found, Gerlach admitted to stealing 30 of them using a crowbar.
Pennsylvania grave robber Jonathan Christ Gerlach stole more than 100 skulls, body parts from cemetery: police https://t.co/BkNA8tD2wD pic.twitter.com/xozO0zoD8X
— New York Post (@nypost) January 9, 2026
The Ephrata resident was digging up a grave in the Mount Moriah Cemetery, situated on Kinsessing Avenue when he was caught in action. This was a planned raid.
The graveyard has been in existence for decades and spans 160 acres of land in Southwest Philadelphia and the borough of Yeadon, Delaware County.
The police acquired a search warrant for his Ephrata residence in Lancaster County. They were stunned by what can only be described by Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse as a “horror movie come to life.”
As mentioned earlier, the police reportedly found several mummified human parts, from torsos and feet to arms and skulls. Some of the remains found were still in the process of decomposing. What’s even more disturbing is the fact that the majority of the remains were those of infants.
A central Pennsylvania man has been arrested and accused of stealing bones from Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon. The Delaware County District Attorney has charged Jonathan Gerlach from Ephrata with Burglary, Abuse of Corpse and Desecration and theft or sale of venerated objects. pic.twitter.com/NYpXpobReO
— Madeleine Wright (@MWrightReports) January 8, 2026
Some were freshly buried, and others were years old. There were also partial and complete sets of skeletons discovered in Gerlach’s basement, a few of which also belonged to infants who were merely months old. Some bones are reportedly 100 years old, according to authorities. Eight other skeletal remains were discovered in a storage locker at his house.
In his 30 years as a Detective, Yeadon Police Chief Henrey Giammarco Jr. claimed it was the most “horrific” sight he’d ever witnessed. The Chief claimed, “This is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings.” Giammarco Jr. also expressed his shock over disturbing a deceased individual’s “rest,” saying, “Rest in peace, is rest in peace.”
The investigations into the Pennsylvania house of horrors first began when staffers at the Mount Moriah Cemetery noticed graves dug up and disturbed. According to reports, scores of graves were being emptied between November 2025 and January 2026, until Gelrach was caught committing the crime. There were about 26 mausoleums, which are essentially tombs, and underground vaults, that were broken into.
34-year-old man from Ephrata, LancasterCounty,was arrested for desecrating #MountMoriahCemetery in Yeadon, #Pennsylvania.
JonathanGerlach faces nearly 600 charges after police recovered over 100 sets of human remains including skulls,long bones,& mummified partsfrom his home. pic.twitter.com/4uLQfg3yL9
— Dr. Subhash (@Subhash_LiveS) January 9, 2026
Catching Gerlach was no easy task for investigators, especially since they had to track months of criminal activity. According to Delcotimes, officials tracked Gerlach’s car, a Toyota Rav4, and his phone signals whenever he was at the cemetery.
The forensic department has yet to identify the remains and notify the families about the same. Rouse expressed his empathy for the families worried about their loved ones being among those Gerlach dug up. The DA said, “I grieve for those who are upset by it, who are going through it…”
According to court records, Gelrach has been charged with 300 counts of theft, criminal mischief, burglary, abuse of corpses, receiving stolen property, intentional desecration of venerated property, and more. His bail is currently set at $1 Million in cash.
