Harvard Agrees To $53 Million Settlement After Former Morgue Manager Stole & Sold Body Parts From Donated Bodies

Harvard Agrees To $53 Million Settlement After Former Morgue Manager Stole & Sold Body Parts From Donated Bodies

Harvard University has agreed to pay $53 million to settle lawsuits over a disturbing scheme involving body parts allegedly stolen from people who donated their remains to Harvard Medical School.

Former morgue manager Cedric Lodge admitted to stealing human remains from the school’s Anatomical Gift Program between 2018 and 2020. Prosecutors said the stolen parts included heads, brains, skin, hands and dissected faces. Lodge allegedly took some of the remains to his New Hampshire home, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold them to buyers in other states.

Even more disturbing, prosecutors said Lodge sometimes allowed potential buyers to enter the Harvard morgue and choose which body parts they wanted to purchase. Some buyers allegedly resold the remains for profit. Lodge pleaded guilty to transporting stolen human remains across state lines and was later sentenced to eight years in federal prison.

Families of donors sued Harvard, accusing the university of failing to properly protect their loved ones’ remains. The proposed $53 million settlement would resolve claims stemming from the scandal, which Harvard previously called a “despicable betrayal.”