Six individuals have been apprehended by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents for their alleged involvement in the trafficking of stolen human body parts, including remains obtained from cadavers at Harvard Medical School.
Following the arrests, Harvard Medical School released a statement entitled, “An abhorrent betrayal.”
The arrests took place in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where Cedric Lodge, a resident and the morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, was taken into custody. His wife, Denise Lodge, and Katrina Maclean from Salem, Massachusetts, were also arrested. Additionally, three other suspects were indicted for their purported participation in the illicit activities: Joshua Taylor and Jeremy Pauley from Pennsylvania, and Matthew Lampi from Minnesota.
The charges against Lodge include the theft of organs and other body parts from cadavers donated to Harvard Medical School for medical research and education, which were intended for cremation.
According to authorities, between 2018 and 2022, Lodge would transport the stolen remains from Boston to his residence in New Hampshire. It is alleged that Lodge and his wife, Denise Lodge, would subsequently sell the stolen remains. The indictment, obtained by Fox News, revealed that the suspects discussed their illegal activities on various social media platforms.
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The indictment explicitly states that Lodge “stole dissected portions of donated cadavers, including, for example, heads, brains, skin, bones, and other human remains.” Lodge is accused of allowing Maclean and Taylor to visit the morgue, choose the specific body parts they desired to purchase, and then remove them.
Many of the trafficked remains were reportedly shipped using the U.S. Postal Service. Maclean, who purportedly sold the body parts to buyers across the country, operated a business called Kat’s Creepy Creations, which she described as specializing in horror, macabre, oddities, and all things creepy, according to her business’ Facebook page.
In one disturbing incident, Maclean allegedly bought two “dissected faces” from Lodge for $600. In another instance, she allegedly shipped human skin to Jeremy Pauley, who intended to transform it into leather.
According to the indictment, Pauley is accused of sending over $40,000 to Taylor via PayPal. Taylor, in turn, sent $37,355.56 to an account operated by Denise Lodge, with transaction memos containing statements such as “head number 7” and “braiiiiiins.”
Harvard Medical School released a statement addressing the incident, titled “An abhorrent betrayal.” The school expressed its dismay at such a disturbing event taking place on its campus, a community dedicated to healing and serving others.
The statement described the reported incidents as a betrayal of both Harvard Medical School and the individuals who selflessly donated their bodies to advance medical education and research through the Anatomical Gift Program.
The school offered sincere apologies for the distress caused to the families and loved ones of the anatomical donors, pledging to engage with them during this deeply troubling time.