Cedric Lodge, the former manager of the Harvard Medical School morgue, pleaded guilty this week to federal charges involving the interstate transport of stolen human remains.
The plea was entered before Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann in Pennsylvania, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Lodge, 57, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, admitted his role in a disturbing case that spanned multiple states and involved the unauthorized removal and sale of human body parts donated for scientific and educational purposes.
According to the official statement, Lodge engaged in this activity from 2018 until at least March 2020. While employed at the Harvard Medical School morgue, he removed various human remains from donated cadavers after their use in academic settings but prior to their scheduled disposal, which is typically conducted in accordance with established donor agreements. The remains included organs, skin, hands, faces, brains, and other dissected parts.
Lodge took the remains from the morgue without the consent of his employer, the donors, or their families. He transported the body parts to his residence in New Hampshire, where he and his wife participated in a scheme to sell the remains for profit. In some instances, the Lodges shipped the remains across state lines to buyers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. In other cases, the buyers themselves collected the remains and transported them to other states.
🇺🇸HARVARD MORGUE BOSS SOLD BRAINS, SKIN & FACES… UMM?! WHAT?
Cedric Lodge had one job: manage the morgue at Harvard Medical School and make sure donated bodies were used for science.
Instead? He turned the place into Facebook Marketplace for body parts.
From 2018 to 2023,… pic.twitter.com/O6JnHw5Ej1
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 20, 2025
The charge to which Lodge pleaded guilty—interstate transport of stolen human remains—carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, followed by supervised release and a fine. After reviewing federal sentencing guidelines and other relevant legal factors, the court will determine the actual sentence.
Harvard Medical School issued a statement in response to the developments, expressing deep dismay over the breach of trust. Dean George Daley called Lodge’s conduct “morally reprehensible” and a profound violation of the school’s anatomical gift program. He acknowledged Lodge’s admission of guilt but noted that the harm caused to families of the donors cannot be easily undone.
Investigations into the case were carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and local law enforcement from East Pennsboro Township in Pennsylvania. Multiple defendants have been implicated in related cases, several of whom have already entered guilty pleas. Those individuals have received prison sentences averaging approximately one year. Among the defendants still awaiting sentencing are Denise Lodge and Joshua Taylor.
While the broader investigation continues, this case has prompted concern over the handling of donated bodies at academic institutions and raised questions about oversight and safeguards within such programs. Harvard University has not provided additional comments in response to recent developments.
