6 arrested in trafficking scheme of stolen body parts from Harvard Medical School morgue

BOSTON — Six people in multiple states were arrested in connection with a trafficking scheme of stolen body parts from the morgue at Harvard Medical School.

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In a news release, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said that Cedric Lodge, 55; Katrina Maclean, 44; Joshua Taylor, 46; Denise Lodge, 63; and Mathew Lampi, 52, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. In addition, Jeremy Pauley, 41, was charged with criminal information, and Candace Chapman Scott, was previously indicted in Arkansas.

Prosecutors claim that from 2018 to 2022, Cedric Lodge stole organs and other cadaver parts that were donated from medical research and education before their scheduled cremations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, according to WFXT. Cedric Lodge managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School.

Cedric Lodge reportedly took stolen parts from Harvard and brought them to his house in Goffstown, New Hampshire, according to court documents obtained by the news outlet. His wife, Denise Lodge, then allegedly sold the remains to Maclean. Maclean is the owner of Kat’s Creepy Creations,

Denise Lodge also reportedly sold remains to Taylor and others over the phone and social media, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, according to WFXT.

“At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.”

Prosecutors believe that Maclean and Taylor resold the stolen remains for profit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, per WFXT. Pauley was included. He also was believed to have purchased stolen human remains from Scott who stole the remains from her job at a mortuary and crematorium in Arkansas.

“Some crimes defy understanding,” said United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam in the news release. “The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human. It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing. For them and their families to be taken advantage of in the name of profit is appalling. With these charges, we are seeking to secure some measure of justice for all these victims.

“The defendants violated the trust of the deceased and their families all in the name of greed,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in the news release. “While today’s charges cannot undo the unfathomable pain this heinous crime has caused, the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to see that justice is served.”

“Today, the United States Attorney has announced charges against several individuals who used the United States mail to ship stolen human remains,” said Christopher Nielsen, the Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service in the news release. “Robbing families of the remains of their loved ones is an unconscionable act and confounds our collective sense of decency. Using the United States mail to facilitate the theft and shipment of human remains is a federal crime and the Postal Inspection Service will do everything in its power to stop it. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney for working with the Postal Inspection Service to stop this group, and I hope our efforts bring a small amount of relief to the victimized families.”

The United States Attorney’s Office said that they will continue to try to identify and contact as many of the victims and their families that have been affected by this case as they can.