PA - Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, grave robbery - months-long investigation, Ephrata *arrest 6 Jan 2026*

[TwinkieDefense]

Jan 9, 2026 article

100 skulls and mummified body parts found in grave robbery case, police say

Jonathan Christ Gerlach faces 100 counts of abuse of a corpse and other crimes.

www.ky3.com

[…]

Investigators later searched the Ephrata home and storage unit of Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, and reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.

[…]

 

[nao]

Moo...he has an Instagram where he sells pieces

 

[nao]

His Instagram

 

[tlcya]

I debated on looking for this thread after reading the headlines this morning. What a disgusting disturbed individual MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

His Instagram

Well, I'm sure investigators are grateful he documented all of his crimes right there.

I'm sure he thought that nobody would care. Nevermind that these were human beings who deserve dignity in death, however long ago that death took place.

I only hope that the money is available to DNA test everything, to ensure they replace the remains of all of the deceased in the correct graves.

MOO

 

[tlcya]

“Very simply, detectives have recovered an awful lot of bones at this point, and we are still trying to piece together who they are, where they are from and how many we are looking at, and it’s going to be quite some time before we have a final answer,” Rouse said.

It’s unclear what Gerlach is alleged to have been doing with the remains, Rouse added, noting that some of them were hundreds of years old. Another set of remains was found with a pacemaker, he said.
Over 100 human skulls found at home of Pennsylvania man accused of desecrating cemeteries

Officers say a Tuesday night arrest of 34-year-old Jonathan Gerlach culminated a monthslong investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forced open since early November.
[snip]
"Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life the other night. This is an unbelievable scene," said Tanner Rouse, the Delaware County District Attorney.

 

[nao]

Moo. I wonder if the police do know about the Instagram business. I doubt that they can return all pieces. That would be a huge amount of DNA testing...moo

 

[iamshadow21]

Moo. I wonder if the police do know about the Instagram business. I doubt that they can return all pieces. That would be a huge amount of DNA testing...moo

They can do it, though. They did in the recent Colorado Springs funeral fraud case.

And really, they have to. Not just for common decency, but because some of these victims may have surviving family. He didn't just prey on historic burials, one of his victims had a pacemaker. When he was arrested, he had remains of children in a sack. He's a degenerate parasite, and his victims had been given a proper burial. It's only right they're returned to where they belong.

MOO

 

[bettyboop]

@TwinkieDefense, Thank You for starting this thread. I was on Youtube and saw this , and wondered if there would be a thread. Thank goodness they found him, and actually did a stakeout I believe. He was even stealing jewelry. I agree that they need to find the money for DNA testing on all the remains so they can be returned to their proper gravesites. JMO MOO