Cedric Lodge, former manager of a morgue at Harvard Medical School, stole various types of body parts and is indicted.
Body Parts Sold From Harvard
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the current indictments and information allege that a nationwide network of individuals bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania stated the following individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods charges:
Cedric Lodge, age 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, Katrina Maclean, age 44, of Salem, Massachusetts, Joshua Taylor, age 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, Denise Lodge, age 63, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, and Mathew Lampi, age 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota,
According to the criminal complaint, the object of the conspiracy was “to profit from the interstate shipment, purchase, and sale of stolen human remains.”
Katrina MacLean, a doll maker from Salem, Massachusetts, and Joshua Taylor of Pennsylvania were recipients of body parts.
His Wife Was In On It
The couple moved from their four-bedroom and three-bathroom $385,000 property in Manchester to a smaller three-bed and two-bath house in Goffstown in 2020.
The incitement revealed ‘at times’, he would take the body parts to his home in New Hampshire, and his wife Denise would ship the goods to others in their network via the USPS.
Thieves Stole Heads, Brains, Skin, and More
Prosecutors say Cedric Lodge stole “heads, brains, skin, bones, and other human remains, without the knowledge or permission of HMS, and removed those remains from the morgue in Massachusetts and transported them to his residence in New Hampshire.”
“Some crimes defy understanding,” said United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human. It is particularly egregious that so many victims volunteered their remains to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science. For them and their families to be taken advantage of in the name of profit is appalling. With these charges, we are seeking to secure some measure of justice for all these victims.”
Lodge and Denise are released on special conditions.
Consequently, the maximum penalty is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following detention, and a fine.
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