Former Harvard morgue manager sentenced for trafficking stolen human remains
Federal court sentences former Harvard Medical School employee and spouse who donated cadavers trafficked in interstate human remains scheme.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release that Cedric Lodge, the former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison.
A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a multi-year scheme involving the theft and sale of human remains taken from donated cadavers.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a press release that Cedric Lodge, the former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison, while his wife, Denise Lodge, was sentenced to 12 months and one day for her role in the operation.
According to federal prosecutors, Lodge abused his position at Harvard to remove body parts from cadavers that had been “donated to Harvard Medical School for scientific research and education.” The DOJ said the stolen remains included “organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, and dissected heads,” all taken “without the knowledge or consent of donors or their families.”
Prosecutors said that from 2018 through at least March 2020, the Lodges “transported the stolen human remains to their home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, and sold and shipped the remains to buyers in multiple states across the United States.” The DOJ stated the conduct violated federal laws prohibiting the interstate transportation of stolen goods, including human remains.
Law enforcement officials involved in the investigation condemned the conduct. A senior official with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said trafficking stolen human remains through the mail is “a disturbing act that victimizes already grieving families,” according to the DOJ announcement.
The DOJ noted that the case was part of a broader federal investigation into an illegal trafficking network involving human remains. Prosecutors said several other individuals connected to the scheme have pleaded guilty or are awaiting sentencing in related cases.
Harvard Medical School previously acknowledged the misconduct. According to court records cited by the DOJ, the actions violated the institution’s policies governing its anatomical donation program, and the university cooperated with law enforcement once the activity was discovered.
Cedric Lodge pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges related to the interstate transportation of stolen human remains, while Denise Lodge admitted to aiding and abetting the operation, federal prosecutors said.
The case adds to ongoing scrutiny surrounding ethical oversight at elite academic institutions, a subject Campus Reform has reported on previously.
Campus Reform previously reported on the initial criminal case when the former Harvard morgue manager was first charged.
The report detailed how federal authorities uncovered allegations that Cedric Lodge was involved in transporting stolen human remains across state lines. This coverage highlighted how cadavers donated for educational and scientific purposes were allegedly taken without consent, prompting a national investigation into the illicit trafficking network.
That earlier article also noted that the case raised questions about institutional oversight and ethical safeguards at elite universities tasked with handling human remains for research. The prosecution of Lodge and the subsequent charges against others connected to the network underscored the broader legal and compliance issues that have now culminated in the recent sentencing.
Campus Reform reached out to Harvard Medical School’s media relations office. This article will be updated accordingly.
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