Harvard Morgue manager jailed after he auctioned off body parts to sick customers wanting to bind books with human skin

The former manager of the Harvard Medical School morgue has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the theft and interstate sale and transport of human body parts, taken from cadavers that had been donated for medical research. Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for more than two decades before being arrested in 2023, was given an eight-year sentence by a US District Judge in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Dec. 16. He caused deep emotional harm to an untold number of family members left to wonder about the mistreatment of their loved ones bodies, prosecutors wrote in a court filing. The 58-year-old Lodge pleaded guilty to transporting stolen goods across state lines in May, with prosecutors stating that he had taken heads, faces, brains, skin, and hands from cadavers in the morgue to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, before selling them to several individuals. From 2018 until at least March 2020, Lodge stole body parts including organs, brains, and faces from donated cadavers that had already been used for teaching and research, but had not yet been disposed of. He transported the remains to his house in New Hampshire and sold them for a profit to buyers in states including Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In one case, Mr Lodge provided skin to a buyer so it could be tanned into leather and bound into a book. Lodge also sold other stolen property from HMS (Harvard Medical School), such as specimen cases bearing an HMS logo, according to sentencing documents. Prosecutors had sought the maximum 10-year sentence, arguing in a Dec. 9 sentencing memorandum that the crimes severity stemmed not only from its scope, but also from Lodges abuse of trust. He abused a position of trust. He undermined the confidence that individuals have in choosing to donate their bodies for medical training and scientific research. He caused deep emotional harm to an untold number of family members left to wonder about the mistreatment of their loved ones bodies, prosecutors wrote. An HMS spokesperson wrote in a statement that the sentencing affirmed the abhorrent nature of the crimes that were inconsistent with Harvards values. Lodges wife, Denise Lodge, was sentenced to just over one year in prison for assisting in the sale and transport of the remains after pleading guilty to the charges in April 2024.  Lodges wife DeniseThe Lodges were indicted in 2023, and Cedric Lodge was subsequently fired from HMS. He initially pleaded not guilty to conspiring to sell body parts with co-defendants, but later pleaded guilty in May to illegally transporting stolen human remains. Denise Lodge pleaded guilty in February 2024. In a separate sentencing document on Dec. 9, prosecutors sought a non-custodial sentence for her which does not include jail time citing her genuine remorse and battle with Stage IV breast cancer. As their income dwindled and Denises medical needs increased, Cedric came up with a plan to sell human remains. Denise initially refused, prosecutors wrote. He persisted, and she simply did not have the strength while battling metastatic cancer, multiple other illnesses, and the overwhelming fear of financial ruin to stand up to him. Other defendants connected to the scheme have also been sentenced. Matthew Lampi and Angelo Pereyra received 15- and 18-month prison terms, respectively, in January. Joshua Taylor has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Several of the Lodges buyers have yet to be sentenced. Massachusetts resident Katrina Maclean, who purchased human remains from the couple with the intent to resell them, pleaded guilty on Dec. 8. Pennsylvania buyer Joshua Taylor similarly pleaded guilty in May to the interstate transport of stolen goods. Both Taylor and Maclean face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, along with additional fines. The post Harvard Morgue manager jailed after he auctioned off body parts to sick customers wanting to bind books with human skin appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.