Seven people, one of whom was a morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, have been arrested and charged with stealing and selling human remains from mortuaries associated with this prestigious institution and the University of Arkansas.
Prosecutors have uncovered an underground network that allegedly stole bodies, including those of two stillborn infants, from Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gifts Program, and a mortuary and crematorium in Arkansas.
According to US Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Cedric Lodge, 55, an employee at the university morgue, is accused of stealing the remains and selling them online. His alleged accomplices are his wife, Denise Lodge, 63, and associates Joshua Taylor, 46, Matthew Lampi, 52, and Katrina MacLean, 44.
Authorities revealed that Matthew Lampi’s client, Jeremy Pauley, was involved in buying and selling body parts, resulting in transactions valued at over $100,000. Detectives were led to Candace Chapman Scott by Pauley. Scott stands accused of stealing bodies intended for cremation in Little Rock and selling them to Pauley in Pennsylvania. It is alleged that many of the bodies Scott sold were donated for scientific research purposes to the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences.
US Attorney Gerard M. Karam voiced his shock at the underground market the defendants allegedly established, stating, “Some crimes defy understanding.” He highlighted the severity of stealing and trafficking human remains, describing it as an offense against the very core of humanity. Karam expressed his outrage at the exploitation of people who altruistically donated their bodies for medical education and scientific research, deeming it horrific.
The body parts allegedly sold included two desiccated faces that Katrina MacLean bought for $600 from Cedric Lodge. Maclean owns a shop called Kat’s Creepy Creations, that advertises “creepy dolls, oddities” and “bone art”. In 2020, Joshua Taylor reportedly sent Denise $200 with a memo that read, “braiiiiiins.” Prosecutors allege that Lodge allowed buyers to personally select the body parts they wanted, granting them access to the Boston morgue, and subsequently shipping the stolen remains through the mail.
Harvard Medical School terminated Cedric Lodge’s employment on May 6, condemning his purported actions as a grievous betrayal. The school’s medical deans voiced their shock, asserting that the reported incidents constituted a betrayal of those who had selflessly donated their bodies for medical education and research. Leslie Taylor, of the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, also expressed dismay and extended apologies to the affected families who did not receive the complete cremated remains of their loved ones.
The defendants face charges of conspiracy and unlawful transportation of stolen goods, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
