Cedric Lodge, a former Harvard Medical School morgue manager, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after admitting he trafficked donated human remains — including brains and dissected heads — from 2018 through at least March 2020. Investigators say Lodge and his wife transported parts to locations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania before shipping them to buyers in other states. Denise Lodge pleaded guilty and received a one-year sentence. The DOJ said many remains were resold for profit and several buyers have been or will be prosecuted.
Former Harvard Morgue Manager Sentenced to 8 Years for Trafficking Donated Human Remains
Harvard Medical School, in Boston / Credit: Spencer Jones / GHI/UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School was sentenced on Tuesday to eight years in federal prison after admitting he stole and sold human remains that had been donated for scientific research, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Cedric Lodge, 58, pleaded guilty in May to trafficking stolen human remains. Prosecutors said the remains included internal organs, brains, skin, hands, faces and dissected heads taken from 2018 through at least March 2020. Harvard confirmed Lodge was dismissed from the university in May 2023.
How the Scheme Worked
Investigators said Lodge and his wife, Denise Lodge, transported body parts from the Harvard facility near Boston to their home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, and to locations in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Authorities allege these removals were done "without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donor's family" and that the remains were then shipped to buyers in other states.
Denise Lodge, 65, pleaded guilty in April 2024 and received a one-year prison sentence, the Justice Department said.
“Today's sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office.
Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service, said: “The trafficking of stolen human remains through the US Mail is a disturbing act that victimizes already grieving families while also creating a potentially hazardous situation for Postal employees and customers. I hope our efforts, and these sentencings, bring some amount of closure to those affected by this terrible crime.”
Aftermath and Related Prosecutions
The Justice Department said many of the remains sold by Lodge were later resold at a profit. Several buyers who purchased those remains have already been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing, according to the DOJ statement.
The case prompted scrutiny of how medical institutions track donated remains and highlighted legal and ethical concerns about the handling and shipment of human tissue. Authorities said the investigation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
