CBS News reported that a morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, Cedric Lodge, along with his wife Denise and two others, Katrina MacLean, and Joshua Taylor, have been accused of participating in a criminal network involved in the sale of stolen human remains, according to a federal complaint.
Morgue Manager Accused of Selling Body Parts
The documents from the Middle District of Pennsylvania allege that Lodge and the others conspired with Jeremy Pauley to profit from the sale of human body parts. Pauley, who had previously been charged in August 2022 for various counts related to the purchase and sale of corpses, was said to have purchased body parts from MacLean.
Further investigations revealed that MacLean and Taylor had been selling human parts and remains since around 2018, which they had obtained from the morgue manager.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, morgue manager Lodge allegedly allowed MacLean and Taylor to examine cadavers at the Harvard Medical School morgue so they could select which ones they wanted to purchase.
It is alleged that the morgue manager also purportedly sent human remains to Taylor and individuals situated in states other than Pennsylvania. Harvard Medical School terminated Lodge’s employment on May 6, stating that they believe Lodge acted without the knowledge or cooperation of anyone else at the institution.
The case brings attention to the fact that, unlike organ donation, the buying and selling of body parts and remains for profit is an unregulated market with limited federal oversight.
According to court documents, MacLean and Taylor are accused of selling human body parts to numerous purchasers. MacLean even operated a store called “Kat’s Creepy Creations” in Salem, Massachusetts, where she stored and sold remains. This store, specializing in “creepy dolls, oddities, and bone art,” advertised human bones for sale on its Instagram page.
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Morgue Manager Case
Pauley, described as a “collector of oddities,” was arrested in Pennsylvania in July 2022 for charges including abusing a corpse and receiving stolen property. Following his arrest, police discovered buckets containing human remains in his basement.
The case took a new turn when an indictment in Arkansas implicated Pauley in the purchase of body parts from a former mortuary worker.
Pauley’s preliminary hearing before a judge in the Pennsylvania Magisterial District is set for July 5. The Lodges have appeared in court in New Hampshire and will need to appear in a Pennsylvania court as well. MacLean is due to face charges in federal court in Boston.
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