A former morgue manager at Harvard University Medical School who was convicted of stealing and selling human remains donated to the Boston-based institution for medical research was sentenced to eight years in federal prison Dec. 16.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew Brann of Pennsylvania sentenced Cedric Lodge on charges of interstate transport of stolen human remains, according to the Justice Department. In June 2023, federal officials announced the indictment and arrest of Mr. Lodge, the former morgue manager, and several other individuals.
He and his wife, Denise Lodge, were found to have sold organs and body parts out of their home in New Hampshire from 2018 through at least 2020, making tens of thousands of dollars, according to prosecutors and court documents cited by The New York Times. Mr. Lodge took remains from bodies at the Harvard Medical School morgue and the couple would then ship parts to buyers. Ms. Lodge was sentenced to 12 months and one day for collaborating with her husband to coordinate the sale of stolen remains.
Several other individuals who purchased and resold the body parts have also been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing.
The actions took place without the knowledge of permission of Harvard, the donors or their families, prosecutors said.
“Today’s sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice,” Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia field office, said in a statement. “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 case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and a Pennsylvania police department.
Following news of the indictment in 2023, Harvard sent letters to the families of about 400 loved ones who had donated their bodies to the medical school and may have been affected. The medical school is facing several lawsuits related to Mr. Lodge’s misconduct.
In a statement to Becker’s, Harvard Medical School said Mr. Lodge’s actions were “abhorrent and inconsistent with the standards and values that Harvard, our anatomical donors, and their loved ones expect and deserve.”
“While Lodge’s sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, the process of healing from the pain he caused continues,” the school said. “Our anatomical gift program relies on the deep, selfless commitment of individual donors and their families to provide essential educational opportunities to medical students, surgeons, pharmacists and many allied health professionals. We reaffirm our deep sorrow for the families of donors who may have been impacted.”
