A Pennsylvania man is facing hundreds of charges after “over 100 full or partial sets of human and skeletal remains” were allegedly found in his home and a storage unit in a scene a district attorney described as a “horror movie come to life.”
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, Pa., was arrested this week by police who were investigating a string of burglarized graves and mausoleums at the Mount Moriah Cemetery on the outskirts of Philadelphia, according to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.
“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life… This is an unbelievable scene that no one involved, from myself, to the detectives to the medical examiners that are now trying to piece together what they are looking at — quite literally — none of them have ever seen anything like this before,” District Attorney Tanner Rouse said Thursday.
“Detectives have recovered an awful lot of bones at this point, and we are still trying to piece together who they are, where they are from and how many we are looking at, and it’s going to be quite some time before we have a final answer,” Rouse added, noting that some of the remains were months-old infants, while others were hundreds of years old.
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HUMAN SKULL, OTHER REMAINS FOUND IN BUSHES BY BROOKLYN’S CONEY ISLAND AS INVESTIGATORS WORK TO UNRAVEL MYSTERY
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, was arrested at the Mount Moriah Cemetery on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2025.(Delaware County District Attorneys’ Office via AP/Google Maps)
The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office said around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, police were conducting surveillance of Mount Moriah Cemetery “when they observed the suspect’s car with numerous bones and skulls in plain view in the back seat of the vehicle.”
“Gerlach was then seen exiting the cemetery holding a burlap bag, crowbar and other assorted items. The offender was brought into custody where he admitted to stealing approximately 30 sets of human remains,” it continued.
“Through investigation it is believed that over 100 full or partial sets of human and skeletal remains have been recovered from Gerlach’s home and storage unit in Ephrata. This investigation remains ongoing,” it added.
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HUMAN REMAINS FOUND NEAR TAYLOR SWIFT’S MANSION IDENTIFIED
The Mount Moriah Cemetery on the border of Philadelphia.(Google Maps)
Gerlach was charged with more than 450 counts, including 100 counts each of abuse of corpse, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
His bail was set at $1 million, with an arraignment hearing scheduled for Jan. 20.
The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office said Jonathan Gerlach was seen exiting Mount Moriah Cemetery this week “holding a burlap bag, crowbar and other assorted items.”(Google Maps)
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“I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is in fact one of their loved ones,” Rouse said.
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Hartford Advocates and Community Members Gathered to Remember, Honor Path to Freedom
HARTFORD, Ct. — Today, Sierra Club Connecticut and State Representatives Minnie Gonzalez, Maryam Khan, and Jilian Gilchrist hosted Black Lungs Matter, a Juneteenth Press Conference, at the Connecticut Legislative Office Building.
The event highlighted the disproportionate impact of air pollution on Black residents in Connecticut and the broken promises that have contributed to this impact. Speakers included state representatives, public health and civil rights experts, plus local voices from Sierra Club Connecticut and the Connecticut Coalition for Economic and Environmental Justice.
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The groups are concerned that Governor Lamont is no longer moving ahead with eliminating all carbon emissions from state building heating and cooling systems, as he pledged in Executive Order 21-3. The Trump Administration has also cancelled at least $50 million in federal grants for environmental justice projects across New England, a substantial portion of which was slated to come to Connecticut environmental justice organizations.
Environmental injustice refers to the fact that environmental hazards, such as air and water pollution, and the health harms that they cause, are disproportionately experienced by people of color and low income people. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, income, ethnicity, tribal affiliation or disability, in the environmental decision making which affects them.
“Just like the enslaved people in Texas were some of the last to gain their freedom, the asthmatic children of Hartford are likely to be the last to breathe clean air,” said Dr. Mark Mitchell, founder of the Connecticut Environmental Justice Leadership Collaborative. “The Governor should keep his clean air promise to Hartford, and help fight back against the environmental injustice of the Trump Administration.”
“As a Puerto Rican woman, I stand in solidarity with Black communities fighting for the right to breathe clean air and live healthy lives,” said Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, who represents the residents that are most exposed to the pollution from Capitol Area Systems.
“As a representative of Hartford, I am deeply committed to ensuring that every child in our city breathes clean air,” said Rep. Maryam Khan. “On this Juneteenth, we recognize the painful legacy of environmental injustice that has disproportionately harmed Black communities. Today, I stand with the Sierra Club in demanding action to tackle air pollution in Hartford. No child’s future should be stolen by the air they breathe.”
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“Connecticut has made commitments to Environmental Justice,” said Sharon Lewis, an Environmental Justice Advocate. “Juneteenth reminds us that commitments matter only when they reach the people they were intended to serve.”
“We cannot allow the environmental justice goals and objectives in this city to be ignored,” said Attorney Cynthia Jennings. “Any investment of our tax dollars must be used to improve the health and safety of residents in every Hartford community.”
“Let’s remind the Governor that Black Americans deserve to breathe clean air in Hartford,” said Sierra Club Connecticut Organizer Alycia Jenkins. “Once justice is won for Black Americans, justice will be won for all.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
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Yarmouth’s Ian Minnihan looks to shoot against Thornton Academy during a Class A boys lacrosse semifinal Wednesday in Saco. The Clippers face unbeaten Falmouth in Saturday’s state championship. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
The Maine high school spring sports season reaches its conclusion with two days of excitement, as 14 state champions will be crowned Friday and Saturday. Some teams are hoping to win their first state title, while others are trying to repeat, and a few are seeking revenge after losing to the same foes in last year’s state finals.
We asked Varsity Maine reporters for something important to know about each state championship game matchup.Here’s what they said about the three boys lacrosse finals.
Class A: Falmouth (16-0) vs. Yarmouth (13-3)
Yarmouth needs to start fast. The Clippers never trailed by more than two goals in their semifinal against Thornton Academy, which kept the task manageable and allowed them to prevail late. But they fell behind 4-0 to top-ranked Falmouth in an 11-7 loss in the regular season, and against a team with the Navigators’ firepower, that’s too deep a hole. Falmouth has scored 33 goals in two tournament games, so keeping pace early is vital as Yarmouth seeks the upset.
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Class B: Marshwood (14-2) vs. York (11-5)
York intentionally played a brutally tough schedule with this state championship game in mind. Eight of the Wildcats’ 14 regular-season games were against Class A competition. Will the payoff be the team’s first state title since 2023, in its fourth straight state final?
Class C: North Yarmouth Academy (13-3) vs. Maranacook/Winthrop (10-6)
This is a rematch of last year’s final, which the Panthers won 9-7, but the scoreboard will probably be more active this time around. NYA bested Maranacook/Winthrop 17-10 on May 8, and has scored 39 goals this postseason, most coming from midfielders Stephen Connolly, Deagan Nadeau and Gavin Thomas. The Hawks have 32 playoff goals, paced by attackmen Ethan Chilton, Jacob Lyons and Caleb Morgan. With both offenses churning, possessions and defensive stops will be key.
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Drew Bonifant covers sports for the Press Herald, with beats in high school football, basketball and baseball. He was previously part of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel sports team. A New Hampshire…
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Dave Dyer is in his second stint with the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel. Dave was previously with the company from 2012-2015 and returned in late 2016. He spent most of 2016 doing freelance sports…
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Jimmy covers sports for the Sun Journal, primarily contributing to the Varsity Maine team. He is from Hagerstown, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Richmond in May of 2025 with a B.A. in journalism…
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HINSDALE, N.H. (ABC22/FOX44) – Two men from Massachusetts have been indicted after they allegedly stole more than $200,000 in cigarettes and fled in a stolen U-Haul van before setting it on fire.
According to court documents, the men robbed the T-Bird Mini Mart on Brattleboro Road in Hinsdale, New Hampshire back on March 15. They then allegedly drove the U-Haul north into Brattleboro, Vermont before heading south on Interstate 91 down in Massachusetts.
Cartons of cigarettes reportedly fell from the back of the van as it drove through Brattleboro, which were estimated to be worth more than $50,000. The “trail of cigarettes” was reportedly used by investigators examining surveillance footage to track the path of the van leading up to the arrest of two suspects last week.
Surveillance footage purported to show the stolen van, at right, and cartons of cigarettes that fell in Brattleboro, Vermont. (Courtesy: USAO New Hampshire District)
Richard Conner, 64, of Greenfield, Massachusetts, and James Ferguson, 66, of Worcester, Massachusetts, were arrested on Friday.
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According to court documents, Ferguson was also seen on camera earlier in March stealing the U-Haul van in Northampton, Massachusetts.
A man identified by investigators as Richard Ferguson in March 1, 2026 surveillance footage. (Courtesy: USAO New Hampshire District)
The two men now face federal charges under the Hobbs Act and, if convicted, could spend up to 20 years in prison.
