Ex-Harvard Medical School Morgue Manager Admits to Trafficking Stolen Human Remains

Image sources: Harvard, Boston25News

Cedric Lodge, 57, the former manager of the Harvard Medical School morgue, has pleaded guilty to stealing and selling human remains from cadavers donated for research and education. The plea was entered in a Pennsylvania federal court on May 21, 2025, where Lodge admitted to the “interstate transport of stolen human remains.” The Department of Justice stated that Lodge faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Details of the Offense

According to prosecutors, between 2018 and at least March 2020, Lodge exploited his position by removing dissected portions of cadavers—including organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, and heads—after they had been used for academic purposes but before they were cremated, buried, or returned to families as stipulated in donor agreements. These remains, donated altruistically to Harvard’s Anatomical Gift Program, were taken without the knowledge or consent of Harvard, the donors, or their families.

Lodge transported the stolen remains from the Harvard Medical School morgue in Boston to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire. There, he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the body parts to buyers across state lines, sometimes shipping them directly and at other times allowing buyers to collect them in person. Transactions were often conducted over social media or the US Postal Service.

Scope and Network

The trafficking network extended across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. The indictment revealed that one buyer in Pennsylvania paid Denise Lodge $37,355.16 over three years, with PayPal memos referencing items such as "head number 7" and "braiiiiiiins". 

Several other individuals, including Katrina Maclean and Joshua Taylor, were also implicated in purchasing and reselling the stolen remains. Katrina Maclean, owner of Kat’s Creepy Creations in Peabody, sold some of the stolen body parts at her business, court documents allege. The store, known for selling "creepy dolls, oddities, and bone art," was raided by the FBI in 2023 as part of the federal investigation into the trafficking of stolen human remains.

According to prosecutors, MacLean purchased dissected faces from Cedric Lodge and allegedly stored and sold human remains from her storefront. The shop’s social media accounts featured posts advertising real human bones and vertebrae, with one post stating, "If you’re in the market for human bones hit me up!"

Harvard’s Response

In response to the revelations, Harvard Medical School released the following statement:

"Lodge's criminal acts, which involved the unlawful interstate transport of stolen human remains, are morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards that Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, our anatomical donors, and their loved ones expect and deserve. We reaffirm our deep sorrow for the continued uncertainty and distress that families face as the criminal proceedings continue.”

Harvard Medical School terminated Lodge’s employment in May 2023, following his indictment. 

Nurse.org will continue updating this article as more information about this case is revealed.

 

🤔 Nurses, share your thoughts about this case in the discussion forum below.