From the Keystone state’s pivotal role in the presidential election to a tragedy that shocked the NHL world to the capture of an alleged CEO killer, 2024 was an eventful year for the Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware region. Take a look at the biggest stories of the year below and watch NBC10’s look back at 2024 in the video embedded above!
Pennsylvania’s pivotal role during the presidential race and election
The presidential race was arguably the biggest story of the year and Pennsylvania played a pivotal role.
Republican Donald Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the summer. Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris also heavily focused on Pennsylvania – a key battleground state – throughout their campaigns with multiple rallies and in the case of Harris, a star studded campaign event in Philadelphia on election eve.
Trump and Harris also held their first and only presidential debate in Philadelphia.
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Ultimately, it was Trump’s victory in Pennsylvania that paved the way to him winning the presidential election.
There were also plenty of viral moments during the presidential race, including a giant naked statue of Trump in Philadelphia as well as Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner repeatedly warning potential election disruptors to “F around and find out.”
CHOP doctor struck, killed while riding bike in Philly
The death of Dr. Barabara Friedes rocked Philadelphia’s biking community.
Friedes – a pediatric doctor who had just been named a chief resident at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – was struck and killed by a driver while she was riding her bike in Center City over the summer. Police said the driver of the striking vehicle was speeding and collided with Friedes while she was riding in a designated bike lane.
The driver, Michael Vahey, was eventually arrested and charged with DUI.
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Friedes’ parents spoke out after their daughter’s death, stating they were working to ensure changes that will help keep bikers safe throughout the city.
Philly-area and NJ athletes shine during the Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympics was a rousing success and the Philadelphia-area was represented well during the games.
Philadelphia native Kahleah Copper and Pennsylvania Alyssa Thomas were members of the U.S. women’s basketball team that took home the Gold.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid also won Gold as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team.
New Jersey native Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won Gold in the Women’s 4x400m event as well as the Women’s 400m hurdles.
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Take a look at the full list of local winners here.
A wild year in Philly sports
As usual, sports was a big story for Philadelphia this year.
Both the Phillies and Eagles had promising starts to their seasons that ended in disappointment, with the Phils losing to the Mets in the NLDS and the Eagles losing six of their last seven games after starting the season 10-1.
After the season ended, Eagles legend Jason Kelce announced his retirement.
Months after his retirement, Kelce was involved in a high profile incident off the field in which he was captured on video smashing a man’s phone after hearing a gay slur being directed at his brother, Travis, for dating star artist Taylor Swift.
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The Sixers’ promising start to the 2023-2024 season also ended in disappointment as the team struggled following an injury to Joel Embiid. They then fought their way from the play-in to the playoffs only to lose to the New York Knicks in a wild first-round series.
The Sixers’ troubles continued at the start of the 2024-2025 season with a losing record despite the acquisition of Paul George and issues for Embiid with lingering injuries and an altercation with a reporter.
But the biggest Sixers story of the year happened off the court with the team’s controversial plan to move from the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia and build an arena in Center City’s Market East neighborhood.
City Council ultimately approved the $1.3 billion plan which has been met by continuous protests from residents living in the city’s Chinatown community.
The deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau
The sports world suffered a major loss with the deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. Both brothers were riding their bikes in South Jersey on the eve of what was supposed to be their sister’s wedding in August when they were struck and killed by a car.
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The driver, Sean Higgins, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.
After their deaths, tributes for the brothers poured out from the hockey community and beyond.
Family tragedies in Bucks, Delaware counties
Two horrific family tragedies rocked communities in Bucks and Delaware counties this year.
In February 2024, Xuong Le killed five of his own family members before taking his own life in a shooting and house fire in East Lansdowne, officials said.
In April 2024, Andre Gordon allegedly killed his stepmother, Karen Gordon, his teen sister Kera Gordon and Taylor Daniel, the mother of his two children, in Bucks County, before being captured hours later in Trenton, New Jersey.
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Spectacles above and below
A pair of cosmic spectacles captured the entire region.
In April 2024, a solar eclipse was visible across the United States, including in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, though it wasn’t quite as visible as people expected due to cloud cover.
A near-total solar eclipse over Philadelphia was obscured by cloud cover for some, just ask Flyers mascot Gritty. However, in places along the path of totality from Mexico to Texas to the Midwest, skies remained clear enough to see the celestial show. Plus, video shows a slashing attack on two South Jersey police officers. And, a Florida woman says she couldn’t believe it when an alligator walked into her home. Finally, cherry blossom season is in bloom in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. NBC10’s Keith Jones and Lucy Bustamante deliver The Lineup on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
In October 2024, there was a rare sighting of the Northern Lights across the Philadelphia region.
A geomagnetic storm led to the northern lights being visible Thursday night over Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Did you get a chance to see it?
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The spectacles weren’t just in the sky however. In April 2024, an earthquake hit New Jersey and its impact was felt throughout the East Coast, including Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Our very own Brian Sheehan experienced an aftershock while preparing for his live shot, leading to a viral moment.
Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses
Amid the Israel-Hamas War, pro-Palestinian protests and encampments occurred at college campuses across the country throughout the year, including Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania.
New Jersey wildfires and drones
Autumn’s dry conditions led to several wildfires in New Jersey as fire crews fought flames throughout the Garden State.
Camden County’s health director Caryelle Lasher caught up with NBC10’s Aaron Baskerville to discuss the impacts of the four wildfires in New Jersey.
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Also in New Jersey, mystery drone sightings in November and December led to concerns from residents and politicians.
Alleged CEO killer’s Philly connection
University of Pennsylvania graduate Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania after shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a New York City hotel, investigators said.
Thompson’s murder and the subsequent search and capture of Mangione sparked a nationwide conversation about the healthcare system following the discovery of the alleged killer’s manifesto which was strongly critical of the healthcare industry.
Bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car near an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia’s outskirts led police to a basement filled with body parts, which authorities say were hoarded by a man now accused of stealing about 100 sets of human remains.
Officers say a Tuesday night arrest culminated a monthslong investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forced open since early November.
Investigators later searched the Ephrata home and storage unit of Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, and reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.
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“They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together, some were just skulls on a shelf,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said.
Most were in the basement, authorities said, and they also recovered jewelry believed to be linked to the graves. In one case, a pacemaker was still attached.
Police say Gerlach targeted mausoleums and underground vaults at the 1855 cemetery. It’s considered the country’s largest abandoned burial ground, according to Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, which helps maintain the 160-acre landmark in Yeadon that’s home to an estimated 150,000 grave sites.
Police had been looking into the string of burglaries when an investigator checked Gerlach’s vehicle plates and found he had been near Yeadon repeatedly during the period when the burglaries occurred. Police say the break-ins centered on sealed vaults and mausoleums containing older burials, which had been smashed open or had stonework damaged to reach the remains inside.
He was arrested as he walked back toward his car with a crowbar, police said, and a burlap bag in which officers found the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls and other bones.
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Gerlach told investigators he took about 30 sets of human remains and showed them the graves he stole from, police said.
“Given the enormity of what we are looking at and the sheer, utter lack of reasonable explanation, it’s difficult to say right now, at this juncture, exactly what took place. We’re trying to figure it out,” Rouse told reporters.
Gerlach was charged with 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, along with multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, desecrating a venerated object, desecrating a historic burial place, burglary, trespassing and theft.
He is jailed on $1 million bond. No lawyer was listed in court records. A message seeking comment was texted to a cellphone linked to him.
A sports field at Ridley Municipal Park in Delaware County has been shut down after police say off-road vehicles tore up the grass following a mid-December snowstorm, causing thousands of dollars in damage and threatening spring sports for hundreds of local children.
Ridley Township police say the field is now unsafe and unplayable after individuals illegally drove all-terrain vehicles and a dune buggy across the grass, leaving deep ruts and torn-up turf.
“The issue that we’re having is the field is unplayable now,” Sgt. Mark McKinney, of the Ridley Township Police Department, said.
Police believe the damage happened when the suspects were “joy riding” on the field after snowfall, performing donuts that dug deep grooves into the ground.
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“We believe they were joy riding. They did some donuts in the grass, and it dug up some big ruts into the grass, which causes a problem for when the kids have to go back out on the field in the spring,” McKinney said.
Investigators are asking for the public’s help identifying three individuals seen on surveillance video riding ATVs and a dune buggy through Ridley Township streets. Detectives believe they are responsible for an estimated $5,000 to $10,000 in damage to the park field.
Repairing the field will not be quick or simple, police said.
“It’s not just something that you can just go out there and patch right away,” McKinney said. “It’s something that’s going to take time.”
The repair process involves laying new soil, rolling the field and growing new grass — a timeline that could disrupt the upcoming sports season.
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“You can’t have the kids on there while the grass is growing or the grass won’t grow,” McKinney said. “So it’s set up quite a bit of a dilemma for us.”
The damage is especially personal for McKinney, who also serves as a coach for Ridley Youth Lacrosse. Fellow coach Matt Flynn said the damaged field is their primary game field, with the season scheduled to begin in less than two months.
“Right now, the field would be unplayable because any kid would turn their ankle in the ruts,” Flynn said.
Flynn added that the situation is frustrating after months of work maintaining the field.
“It’s more disappointment because we work so hard to get that field into good shape, and now we just have to start again and do more work, and then find other fields to play on during the season,” he said.
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Township officials are currently gathering repair estimates, but the field will remain closed until it is safe for play.
Police say the suspects could face charges including trespassing and criminal mischief. Anyone who recognizes the individuals seen in the surveillance footage is urged to contact Ridley Township police detectives.
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested and is facing more than 500 charges after he was accused of stealing human skulls and “numerous” skeletal remains from an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia’s outskirts, according to police.
Bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car near the cemetery led police to the home and storage unit of Jonathan Gerlach, 34, after police had been looking into a string of burglaries.
Investigators checked Gerlach’s licence plates and found that he had been near the cemetery repeatedly during the period when the burglaries occurred.
Officers say the Jan. 6 arrest culminated a months-long investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forced open since early November.
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After searching Gerlach’s home and storage unit, investigators reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.
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“They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together, some were just skulls on a shelf,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said.
Most of the findings were in Gerlach’s basement, authorities said. They also recovered jewelry believed to be linked to the graves, and a pacemaker that was still attached.
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“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home. It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. 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 added.
Human skull found amid Halloween decor in Florida thrift store
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Police say Gerlach targeted mausoleums and underground vaults at the cemetery, which was established in 1855. Gerlach was arrested as he walked back toward his car with a crowbar, police said.
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He also had a burlap bag in which officers found the mummified remains of two small children, three skulls and other bones.
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Gerlach then told investigators that he took around 30 sets of human remains and showed them the graves he stole from, police said.
Police believe the remains were also taken from other cemeteries in the region. They are investigating the Human Bones and Skull Selling Group on Facebook, where Gerlach was reportedly tagged and pictured holding a skull.
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He was charged with 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, along with multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, desecrating a venerated object, desecrating a historic burial place, burglary, trespassing and theft.
Mount Moriah Cemetery released a statement on its Instagram Stories following Gerlach’s arrest, thanking Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, the Yeadon Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department for “their hard work and dedication to this case.”
“Our team has been working alongside all parties involved and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of the investigation. Please direct any specific questions regarding this case to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office,” it said.
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“Mount Moriah is the largest abandoned cemetery in the United States. Its historic grounds are cared for by a dedicated group of approximately 12 volunteers who show up week in and week out to preserve this space.”
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Gerlach is being held on $1-million bail, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20.
