• Police find human remains near abandoned Philadelphia cemetery
• Suspect Gerlach collected around 100 sets of remains after a series of thefts

Police discovered a skull and bones visible in the back seat of a car near an abandoned cemetery on the outskirts of Philadelphia, which led them to a basement full of human remains.

It is believed that a man, now charged, had collected them after stealing roughly 100 sets of human remains.

The arrest of the suspect, 34-year-old Jonathan Christ Gerlach, came after months-long investigations into a series of break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and burial vaults had been opened since early November.

Following a search of Gerlach’s home and storage unit in Ephrata, authorities found more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos, and other skeletal remains.

Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said, “The bodies were in different conditions; some were hanging, some assembled, and some were just skulls on shelves.”

Officials noted that most of the remains were in the basement. Jewelry believed to have been taken from the graves was also recovered, and in one case, a pacemaker was still attached to a body.

Police said Gerlach targeted underground vaults in the cemetery, which dates back to 1855 and is considered the largest abandoned cemetery in the country, containing around 150,000 graves.

They added that the investigation began after a string of thefts, and checking Gerlach’s vehicle plates revealed he had frequented the Yeadon area during the period of the break-ins.

The attacks focused on older, sealed graves that had been broken into or had their stonework damaged to access the remains inside.

Officials said Gerlach was arrested while returning to his car, carrying a metal tool. Inside his bag, police found the mummified remains of two children, three skulls, and other bones.

He admitted to stealing about 30 sets of human remains and guided investigators to the graves he had looted.