January 1, Harvard Morgue Scandal: Ex-Manager’s Wife Admits Role in Gruesome Body Part Trafficking

The wife of a former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, Denise Lodge, pleaded guilty to her involvement in a body part trafficking ring. The 64-year-old admitted to interstate transportation of stolen goods in Pennsylvania’s US District Court after police discovered she allegedly helped ship stolen human body parts to buyers across the country.

In a nationwide scheme, Denise, her husband Cedric Lodge, and their accomplices allegedly participated in selling body parts stolen from donated bodies at Harvard without the knowledge of the donors’ families. The alleged illegal sales included two dozen hands, two feet, parts of skulls, and other human remains, fetching prices up to $11,000.

Several other alleged transactions were involved in the case. A mortuary employee was found allegedly selling body parts on social media, and a Massachusetts store owner allegedly purchased a human skull to craft a macabre doll.

A suit brought by a plaintiff on behalf of himself and others similarly situated stated that their family members “donated and entrusted their deceased bodies into Harvard’s custody for medical research and academic study and whose cadavers were then mishandled, dissected, and/or sold by the HMS morgue manager.”

Cedric Lodge, who allegedly orchestrated the operation from the morgue at Harvard, was terminated on May 6.

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