Six individuals are now facing federal charges for their alleged involvement in the sale of stolen human body parts from the Harvard Medical School morgue. The accused include Cedric Lodge, the former morgue manager who was terminated last month. According to the federal indictment, Lodge sold dissected portions of cadavers, including heads, brains, and skin, that were originally donated to the school’s Anatomical Gift Program for research and educational purposes. The donors were misled into believing that their bodies would be respectfully cremated or returned to their families or a cemetery after use. Instead, Lodge allegedly sold these remains to various buyers, both online and in-person, between 2018 and 2022, with the assistance of his wife, Denise Lodge.
One of the accused buyers is Katrina Maclean, who runs a store called “Kat’s Creepy Creations” known for its macabre dolls. Maclean allegedly purchased two dissected faces from Cedric Lodge for $600 in 2020. She also bought human skin, which she sent to Jeremy Pauley in Pennsylvania to be tanned and turned into leather. Other individuals, namely Joshua Taylor of Pennsylvania and Mathew Lampi of Minnesota, are also implicated in the purchase of these human remains. Lodge allegedly allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the medical school’s morgue and choose the remains they wished to buy.
A federal grand jury indicted Taylor, Lampi, Maclean, and Cedric and Denise Lodge on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. Pauley, on the other hand, faces separate charges of conspiracy and the transportation of stolen goods for his alleged involvement in purchasing body parts from Maclean, Lampi, and an Arkansas mortuary and crematorium worker named Candace Chapman Scott.
Regarding the Arkansas worker, Scott was charged with 12 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen property in a separate case. She recently pleaded not guilty to these charges. An attorney representing Cedric and Denise Lodge has not yet provided a comment on the matter.
U.S. Attorney Gerard Karam described these crimes as incomprehensible, expressing outrage that the victims, who willingly donated their remains for medical education and scientific advancement, were exploited for profit. Karam’s statement reflects the appalling nature of this case.
According to the indictment, Taylor made a total of 39 payments worth $37,355.56 to Denise Lodge for human remains. Payments included $1,000 for a head and $200 labeled as “braiiiiiins.” Pauley allegedly transferred $8,800 to Maclean and $40,049.04 to Taylor. Additionally, authorities stated that Lampi and Pauley exchanged over $100,000 in online payments over an extended period.
In a conversation referenced in the indictment, Maclean acknowledged the illegality of their actions, mentioning her concern about agents showing up if one of their shipments went missing in the mail. Harvard Medical School has condemned the thefts as morally reprehensible and is actively investigating which anatomical donors may have been impacted. The school expressed deep sorrow for the pain this news will cause the families and loved ones of the donors and pledged to support them during this distressing time.
To address this shocking incident, Harvard’s medical school announced the formation of an external panel of experts to evaluate its Anatomical Gift Program and morgue policies and practices.
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