Couple Indicted For Selling Stolen Body Parts From Harvard Morgue
Yes, you read that right. A couple has been indicted for allegedly selling body parts that were stolen from a morgue at Harvard Medical Center. Cedric Lodge had been the Harvard morgue manager but had been fired on May 6. Lodge and his wife Denise are accused of stealing body parts, including heads, brains, skin, and bones. Apparently, they would then transport the stolen parts from the Harvard morgue to Goffstown, New Hampshire, where they were then sold and shipped. Subsequently, these parts were often shipped via standard US mail.
Regarding the parts that were stolen, ABC’s WCVB TV reports, “The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, says the body parts came from cadavers that were donated to Harvard to be used for educational purposes.”
In addition, the indictment claims that Lodge had even let buyers into the morgue. Then, they could pick out the parts to purchase. During a three-year period between 2018-2021, one of the buyers, Joshua Taylor, issued over $37,000 in payments to a PayPal account aligned with Denise Lodge, the story states.
Statement From Harvard
George Daley, who is Harvard’s Dean of Faculty of Medicine, George Daley and Edward Hundert, Dean of Medical Education, issued a written statement. They said, “We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus.”
Wait, There’s More
Four other people are facing charges as part of this “group” who were in on stealing and selling these body parts. In addition to the aforementioned Taylor, the owner of Kat’s Creepy Creations in Peabody, Massachusetts, is mentioned. Katrina Maclean allegedly bought two faces for $600.
The Patch reports, “According to neighbors, authorities removed the couple from their residence in handcuffs early Wednesday morning.” Moreover, two cars parked in the neighborhood had custom New Hampshire license plates that read “GRIM-R” and “DKSHDWS.”
This investigation will continue as prosecutors will continue to track who made purchases from the group and for what purpose. In fact, they believe parts were shipped to more states than they currently have confirmed.
The Lodges both appeared in court yesterday. Furthermore, this couple indicted for allegedly selling stolen body parts from a Harvard morgue will have to appear in a Pennsylvania court as well.
