- A lawsuit has been filed against Harvard and a morgue manager, alleging mishandling of a woman’s body.
- The lawsuit suggests that a black market scheme involving up to 400 donated cadavers may have occurred.
- The morgue manager at Harvard was recently indicted on charges of trafficking human remains.
A lawsuit filed in Massachusetts on Friday claims that around 350 to 400 cadavers, donated to Harvard Medical School, were illegally sold on the black market by the morgue manager.
This civil complaint, which seeks to represent other families affected, is the latest development in the disturbing case surrounding the alleged trafficking of human remains by the Harvard morgue manager.
Cedric Lodge, along with his wife and four others, was indicted by federal prosecutors this week for conspiring to transport and sell human remains obtained from individuals who had volunteered for Harvard’s anatomical gifts program.
However, instead of being used for educational purposes, Lodge and his associates trafficked in various body parts, including heads, brains, skin, bones, and more.
According to a criminal complaint, Lodge once sold two dissected faces for $600. The complaint also revealed that another defendant shipped human skin to be turned into leather by someone in Pennsylvania.
Financial records were uncovered, showing payments such as $1,000 labeled as “head number 7” and a $200 payment described as “braiiiiiins.”
The lawsuit was filed by the son of Adele Mazzone, whose body was donated to Harvard for medical research. He recently learned that his mother’s body was among those mishandled at the Harvard morgue.
Mazzone’s daughter expressed concerns about the ashes she received from Harvard, questioning if they truly belong to her mother. She also demanded answers about the lack of security measures taken in this case.
The lawsuit names both Lodge and Harvard administrators as defendants, alleging negligence in the hiring and supervision of Lodge as the morgue manager.
“Harvard owed a duty of care to the families who entrusted it with their loved ones’ bodies, ensuring proper handling and maintenance for scientific study, and not mishandling, dissecting, or selling to third parties,” states the lawsuit.
Lodge’s attorney and Harvard representatives have declined to comment on the lawsuit. The attorney who filed the lawsuit has not responded to Insider’s request for comment.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
