Wife of ex-Harvard Medical School morgue manager pleads guilty in body part selling scheme

Denise Lodge, left, covers her face with a printout of the indictment against her as she walks from the federal courthouse.

The wife of a former Harvard Medical School morgue manager has pleaded guilty after shipping stolen human body parts from the mortuary at the Ivy League school to buyers nationwide.

Denise Lodge, 64, entered a guilty plea in the US District Court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania on Friday, according to court records.

Federal prosecutors described the scheme as "egregious," involving Lodge, her husband Cedric Lodge, and five others. They were charged last year for orchestrating online sales of human remains between 2018 and 2020.

The items sold included two dozen hands, two feet, nine spines, portions of skulls, five dissected human faces, and two dissected heads.

Denise Lodge pleaded guilty after shipping stolen human body parts from the motuary at the Ivy League school to buyers nationwide.

Lodge's attorney, Hope Lefeber, mentioned in an interview with WBUR that Cedric Lodge was the mastermind of the operation, and Denise merely "went along with it," emphasizing that no financial loss was incurred.

The bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are intended for educational and research purposes, with the understanding that they will be cremated and returned to the donor's family afterward. However, the morgue manager exploited this system for personal gain within the black market.

Cedric Lodge was terminated from his position on May 6, with Harvard denouncing his actions as a severe betrayal.

This case highlighted the demand for human remains in the US, particularly in the unregulated market for whole bodies. Only a few states closely monitor whole-body donations and sales, leaving significant gaps in oversight.

Prosecutors said the scheme involved an Arkansas mortuary employee who sold body parts on Facebook a Massachusetts store owner who bought a human skull to create a “killer clown”-style doll.

The pricing dynamics in this illicit market are disturbing, with body parts fetching substantial sums. For example, human heads can command up to $3,000, spines around $1,200, and sets of hands about $1,000.

An entire body can be sold for up to $11,000, reflecting a market primarily driven by medical institutions, research facilities, collectors, and cosmetic surgery entities.

The process often begins with hospices or funeral homes approaching family members of the deceased to offer free cremation in exchange for working with unregulated body brokerages. These brokerages, in turn, sell the donated bodies at significant profits, targeting vulnerable individuals such as the elderly or financially disadvantaged.