.jpeg)
Cedric Lodge, the former manager of the Harvard Medical School Morgue, and his wife Denise Lodge have been sentenced for their roles in stealing and selling donated human body parts. U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann imposed the sentences following their guilty pleas to charges of interstate transport of stolen human remains.
Cedric Lodge, 58, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Denise Lodge, 65, received a sentence of 12 months and one day in prison. The sentencing took place on December 16, 2025, in federal court.
From 2018 through at least March 2020, Cedric Lodge stole organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads, and other body parts from cadavers donated to Harvard Medical School for anatomical research and education. These remains were taken without the knowledge or consent of the school, the donors, or their families, after the bodies had been used for their intended purposes but before cremation.
Lodge transported the stolen parts to his home, where he and his wife sold them to buyers across the country, including in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Some remains were shipped via the U.S. Mail, while others were picked up directly by purchasers.
"This case represents a profound violation of trust and human dignity," said United States Attorney Brian D. Miller. "Families who donated their loved ones' bodies for the advancement of medical science deserve better than to have their generosity exploited for personal gain. We are committed to holding accountable those who engage in such reprehensible conduct."
Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service stated, “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 sentences, bring some amount of closure to those affected by this terrible crime.”
Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office added, “Today’s sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice. I want to thank our partners at the Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney's Office for their diligent efforts in this case.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the East Pennsboro Township Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin.
This case is part of a broader network involving multiple defendants who have pleaded guilty to related charges. Several others have already been sentenced, with additional sentences pending.