Former Harvard Morgue Manager Pleads Guilty to Body Part Trafficking

A former manager at the Harvard Medical School morgue has admitted to stealing and selling various human remains on the black market. Cedric Lodge, who is 57 years old, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Pennsylvania for transporting stolen body parts taken from donations meant for medical research and education.

Between 2018 and March 2020, Lodge used his access to the morgue to remove parts from bodies that hadn’t yet been cremated or returned according to the wishes of the donors. These remains had been donated to Harvard’s Anatomical Gift Program and were photographed without consent from either Harvard or the families involved.

Prosecutors revealed that Lodge transported these stolen remains from a Boston morgue to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Together with his wife, Dennis Lodge, he sold body parts across state lines, sometimes shipping them directly and at other times allowing buyers to collect them in person. Their operations extended across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

A federal complaint noted that one man in Pennsylvania paid over $37,000 through PayPal for items like “Head Number 7” and “Braiiiiinins.” Furthermore, it was stated that Lodge provided human skin to a woman in Massachusetts, who intended to tan it. On at least one occasion, he offered her “two dissected faces” at the morgue.

“We are horrified to learn that something very disturbing can happen on our campus, a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” said George Daly, the Medical School Dean, along with Edward Handalt, in a joint statement last year.

Cedric Lodge now faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with additional terms of supervision and fines. The final decision will rest with U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Blanc according to federal laws and guidelines.

His wife, Dennis Lodge, also pleaded guilty the previous year and is awaiting her sentence.

Several others have been implicated in this case. Lodge facilitated the sale of body parts to individuals like Joshua Taylor and Andrew Ensanian, with some buyers, including Jeremy Pauley, later selling the remains for profit. Joshua Taylor has also pleaded guilty and is waiting for sentencing, while Ensanian has admitted guilt. Matthew Lampi received a 15-month prison sentence, and Angelo Pereira was sentenced to 18 months. Another defendant, Katrina McLean, allegedly purchased remains from Lodge but has denied the charges and has yet to enter a plea.