December 17th 2025.
Cedric Lodge, a former manager of a morgue, has recently been sentenced to eight years in prison for his involvement in a macabre scheme. This scheme, which spanned several years, involved stealing body parts from corpses that had been donated to Harvard Medical School for medical research. Lodge, who is now 58 years old, took heads, faces, brains, skin, and hands from the donated cadavers and sold them to various individuals across state lines. The crimes were carried out for the sake of amusement for the "oddities" community, according to prosecutors.
Lodge, who lived with his wife in suburban New Hampshire, was arrested in 2023 after managing the morgue at Harvard Medical School for 28 years. His actions caused deep emotional harm to the families of the deceased, who were left to wonder about the mistreatment of their loved ones' bodies. In fact, prosecutors wrote in a court filing that Lodge's actions caused "deep emotional harm to an untold number of family members."
Lodge's wife, Denise, was also sentenced to one year in prison for her role in facilitating the sale of stolen organs and body parts. In one particularly disturbing instance, the couple sold a man's face, which may have been kept on a shelf or used for something even more disturbing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin stated that the couple had treated the stolen body parts as if they were "baubles."
According to Lodge's lawyer, Patrick Casey, his client has acknowledged the harm that his actions have caused to both the deceased individuals whose bodies he degraded and their grieving families. However, Casey also asked the judge for leniency in sentencing. Ultimately, Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to transporting stolen goods across state lines in May.
Harvard Medical School has condemned Lodge's actions, calling them "abhorrent and inconsistent with the standards and values that Harvard, our anatomical donors, and their loved ones expect and deserve." The University even paused donations of bodies for five months in 2023 when charges were filed. In addition, six others, including an employee at an Arkansas crematorium, have pleaded guilty in the investigation of body-part trafficking.
In October, a U.S. court ruled that family members who had donated the bodies of their loved ones for medical research could sue Harvard Medical School. This serves as a reminder that the consequences of Lodge's actions extend far beyond himself and his wife, and have caused lasting harm to the families of the deceased. As we reflect on this disturbing case, let us remember the importance of respecting and honoring the dignity of the deceased and their families.
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