Ephrata, PA – In January 2026, Jonathan Gerlach, 34, a resident of Ephrata, Lancaster County, was arrested after authorities found more than 100 sets of human remains at his residence and in a storage unit.

Gerlach was apprehended on January 6, 2026, at Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, Delaware, as he was leaving the site with a bag containing human remains, including skulls (one of a child), bones, and tools such as a crowbar. Bones and skulls were visible in his vehicle.

The arrest resulted in search warrants at Gerlach's home on Washington Avenue in Ephrata and at a locker on East Main Street. Authorities recovered more than 100 sets of human remains, including:

More than 100 skulls and long bones

Mummified hands and feet

Two decomposing torsos

Bodies hanging from the basement ceiling

Skeletons mounted on shelves or on display

Gerlach also admitted to selling some of the remains online, although most were stored in the basement.

He faces more than 500 charges, including abuse of a corpse, theft, receiving stolen property, desecration of graves and monuments, trespassing, criminal trespass, and other related offenses.

Gerlach remains in custody.