By: April Carson
Cedric Lodge, the morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, stands accused of selling stolen body parts. Along with six other individuals, Lodge was charged with trafficking in human remains and conspiracy to steal body parts.
A federal indictment out of Pennsylvania alleges that 55-year-old Lodge stole dissected portions of human cadavers, transported them to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, and subsequently sold them online.
Cedric Lodge's 63-year-old wife, Denise, along with two alleged buyers, 44-year-old Katrina MacLean of Salem and 46-year-old Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, were indicted and charged on Wednesday. Both Lodges appeared in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, on Wednesday afternoon, but Cedric remained silent as he left court.
On Wednesday afternoon, MacLean appeared in federal court in Boston, where she faced charges of transporting stolen goods across state lines. Although the maximum sentence for this non-violent offense is 10 years, the judge decided to let her go. However, she will have to report to a Pennsylvania court at some point. As MacLean wiped away tears upon hearing she could go home, neither she nor her lawyer had anything to say to reporters.
During the investigation, two other individuals, Mathew Lampi (52) of East Bethel, Minnesota and Jeremy Pauley (41) of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania were charged. Candace Chapman Scott from Little Rock, Arkansas had already been indicted earlier, accused of stealing and selling body parts from a mortuary and crematorium. She is not alone in her crime since there have been reports of similar cases in other states.
Kat's Creepy Creations, a shop owned by MacLean in Peabody, was searched by the FBI along with MacLean's home in Salem, Massachusetts in March. MacLean declined to comment to WBZ TV at the time.
"These allegations are obviously concerning," said Harvard Medical School's dean, Dr. George Q. Daley. "We take the protection of donated bodies for research and education very seriously." He added that Harvard Medical School has since implemented new protocols in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
According to prosecutors, Taylor, along with the Lodges, allegedly removed human remains from a morgue and transported them to New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, where Taylor resides, over a period spanning from 2018 until March of this year.
The criminal complaint alleges that the aim of the conspiracy was to benefit from the shipment, purchase, and sale of stolen human remains across state lines.
According to prosecutors, Cedric Lodge allegedly stole human remains including heads, brains, skin, and bones without permission or knowledge from the morgue in Massachusetts. He then transported these remains to his residence in New Hampshire.
Lodge and his wife purportedly vended the purloined body parts to MacLean, Taylor and others, and on occasions dispatched those remains through the United States Postal Service to Pennsylvania and other locations.
The indictment states that Lodge allowed MacLean, Taylor, and others to enter the morgue and choose which body parts to purchase.
The Lodges and their two alleged buyers are each facing charges of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, followed by three years' supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
In addition to storing human remains at her Peabody shop, MacLean is also accused of selling them. The indictment alleges that she sold dissected remains to customers through her business, and shipped them via the United States Postal Service.
According to prosecutors, in October 2020, MacLean agreed to pay Cedric Lodge $600 for two dissected faces. The next month, MacLean paid Lodge $900 for a human torso.
"This case is an appalling example of the lengths that some individuals will go to in order to capitalize on the trade of human remains," said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. "We must remain vigilant against those who seek to exploit and desecrate our dead for their own personal gain."
"The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the core of our humanity," stated Gerard Karam, U.S. Attorney for Pennsylvania. He added that certain crimes are beyond explanation. It especially heinous that many of the victims willingly donated their remains to advance the interests of science and medicine. To exploit them and their families in the name of profit is truly shocking and unacceptable. The charges laid are a step towards justice for these victims.
Harvard Medical School called the accusations against its manager "deeply disturbing," and said it will continue to cooperate with the investigation.
The indictment from Pennsylvania also includes charges of mail fraud against all seven defendants, in addition to other related offenses. The charges come after a joint investigation between the FBI's Boston Field Office, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, and the U.S. Attorney for Pennsylvania.
"Our campus is dedicated to healing and serving others, so we are appalled to learn of something so disturbing happening here," said Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, George Daley, and Dean for Medical Education, Edward Hundert, in a joint statement. The incidents reported represent a betrayal of the trust placed in HMS and, more significantly, by individuals who selflessly donated their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program.
These donors sought to advance medical education and research, and the reported incidents are a violation of their altruistic intentions. "We remain committed to working with the U.S. Attorney's Office and other investigation authorities to ensure that those responsible are held accountable."
DISCLOSURE IS IMMINENT an Exclusive Interview w Dr. Greer & Billy Carson
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April Carson is the daughter of Billy Carson. She received her bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from Jacksonville University, where she was also on the Women's Basketball team. She now has a successful clothing company that specializes in organic baby clothes and other items. Take a look at their most popular fall fashions on bossbabymav.com
To read more of April's blogs, check out her website! She publishes new blogs on a daily basis, including the most helpful mommy advice and baby care tips! Follow on IG @bossbabymav
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