The discovery of 100 human skulls and other disturbing human remains has transformed a Pennsylvania criminal case into what prosecutors described as a living nightmare involving a skeleton collection unlike anything investigators had seen before.
Authorities allege that Jonathan Gerlach, 34, systematically plundered historic cemeteries, leaving behind shattered vaults and grieving families while stockpiling bones, skulls, and decomposing remains inside his home.
A “Horror Movie Come to Life” in the Basement
According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators uncovered more than 100 human skulls, numerous long bones, mummified feet, decomposing torsos, and other remains in Gerlach’s basement in Ephrata, about 70 miles from Philadelphia. Eight additional sets of human remains were discovered in a storage locker connected to him.
Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse did not mince words when describing the scope of the find.
“Very simply, 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,” Rouse said, adding that the process could take months or longer.
