Harvard Medical School Morgue Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing and Selling Human Heads, Brains, and Bones

Former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge, 55, shields his face as he walked from a New Hampshire courthouse

Cedric Lodge, 56, the former manager of the Harvard Medical School morgue, has agreed to plead guilty to stealing and selling body parts that had been donated to the university for medical research. The federal charge, filed in Pennsylvania, accuses Lodge of transporting stolen goods across state lines—a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Lodge managed the Anatomical Gift Program at Harvard Medical School from 1995 until his arrest in 2023. Over nearly three decades, he was responsible for overseeing the receipt, embalming, storage, and eventual cremation of bodies donated for scientific and educational purposes. But between 2018 and 2023, prosecutors say Lodge exploited this trusted position to orchestrate a black-market trade in human remains.

Some of the human remains allegedly stolen and sold by Lodge included half a head, a whole head, three brains, heart, liver, lung, two kidneys, female pelvis, torso, and four human hands

According to court documents, Lodge stole heads, brains, bones, skin, and other body parts from cadavers stored in the medical school’s morgue. He reportedly smuggled the remains to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise, illegally sold them to collectors and resellers online. Lodge even allowed prospective buyers into the restricted morgue facilities to browse and choose which body parts they wanted to purchase.

Some buyers used platforms like PayPal to complete transactions, labeling their payments with disturbing descriptions such as “head number 7” or “braiiiiiins.” In one post to an online forum, Lodge reportedly offered heavy-duty body bags and “medical toys,” seeking extra cash to fund a vacation.

Jeremy Pauley, 41, was arrested after his estranged wife called the police in June of 2022 to tell them something was amiss at his Enola home. It was this call that ended up blowing the Harvard morgue scandal wide open

The operation was exposed when Pennsylvania resident Jeremy Pauley’s estranged wife contacted authorities in June 2022 to report suspicious activity at his home. When police investigated, they found an extensive and macabre collection of human remains—including infant body parts in jars, three full skeletons, and over 50 human ribs. Pauley, a self-proclaimed preservation specialist, initially convinced officers that he had legally acquired the remains for scientific and educational purposes. However, a subsequent visit revealed a far darker truth: his basement contained human eyeballs, preserved organs, loose skin, and other body parts stored in buckets.

Further investigation uncovered that Pauley was one of several buyers tied to Lodge’s operation. Denise Lodge managed the electronic payments, while a network of individuals funneled tens of thousands of dollars to the couple. Some of these buyers also resold the remains.

Lodge's wife Denise is also accused of being involved and overseeing electronic payments for the stolen human remains through a PayPal account

Following Lodge’s arrest, at least a dozen families filed lawsuits against Harvard, claiming the university failed to safeguard the remains of their loved ones. A Massachusetts judge dismissed those cases, ruling that plaintiffs had not provided sufficient evidence that the school acted in bad faith or was directly liable for Lodge’s actions. The families have since appealed the decision to the state’s highest court.

In response to the scandal, Harvard conducted an independent review of its Anatomical Gift Program and announced recommendations for improved oversight and documentation. The university previously expressed being “appalled” by Lodge’s conduct and apologized for the distress caused to donors’ families.

Lodge is expected to formally enter his guilty plea in federal court, foregoing a trial originally set for May. His wife has already pleaded guilty, and several other individuals are facing related charges.