Federal Authorities Accuse Harvard Morgue Manager of Stealing and Selling Human Remains on the Black Market

• Federal prosecutors have successfully dismantled a nationwide ring involved in trafficking stolen human remains.
• Four individuals, including the morgue manager from Harvard Medical School and his wife, have been accused of selling human remains.
• United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam stated, “Some crimes are beyond comprehension.”

Federal prosecutors have uncovered a nationwide operation involved in trafficking stolen human remains. The Department of Justice has indicted four individuals on charges of conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

According to prosecutors, Cedric Lodge, the morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, stole body parts from the school’s anatomical gift program between 2018 and 2022. Lodge transported the stolen remains from the school’s Boston campus to his home in New Hampshire.

At his home, Lodge and his wife Denise allegedly sold the stolen body parts to Katrina Maclean and Joshua Taylor, using text messages and social media to arrange the illicit transactions.

United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam expressed, “Some crimes are beyond comprehension. The theft and trafficking of human remains strike at the core of our humanity.”

One of the defendants, Katrina Maclean, operates a doll shop called “Kat’s Creepy Creations” in Salem, Massachusetts. On the store’s Instagram page, she posted a picture of one of her dolls with a caption mentioning the use of a real human skull. Prosecutors claim that Lodge sometimes allowed Maclean and Taylor inside the morgue to select their desired items.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire stated, “The defendants betrayed the trust of the deceased and their families for the sake of greed. While these charges cannot undo the unimaginable pain caused by this heinous crime, the FBI will relentlessly pursue justice.”

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, supervised release, and fines. The FBI, US Postal Inspection Service, and local law enforcement collaborated on the investigation, with the possibility of additional charges in the future.