Harvard Medical School Sued Over Stolen Body Part Scandal

Plaintiffs include relatives of people whose remains were allegedly stolen and sold. The lawsuit alleges that as many as 400 cadavers may have been trafficked in a multi-year scheme. Details were revealed in a June 13 indictment by the US attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

“Medical schools like Harvard have a duty to ensure [donated remains] are handled properly and with decency and to ensure they are used for their intended purpose of scientific study,” attorney Jeff Catalano said in a statement.

“I do think Harvard has that duty,” said Arthur Caplan, PhD, director, Division of Medical Ethics, New York University. But, he added, “I will say there’s not much they can do when employees set out to systematically undermine them.”

The indictment alleges that from 2018 through August 2022, Harvard morgue manager Cedric Lodge stole dissected portions of donated cadavers, including heads, brains, skin, and bones, which were then sold by him and his wife, Denise Lodge, to Katrina Maclean, owner of Kat’s Creepy Creations, in Peabody, Massachusetts. Maclean allegedly sold human remain to Joshua Taylor and Jeremy Pauley, both Pennsylvania residents.

On occasion, Lodge allowed Maclean, Taylor, and others into the morgue to choose which parts they wanted, according to the indictment. Taylor, Maclean, and Denise Lodge are all named in the indictment. Pauley was charged separately.

They each face a maximum of 15 years in prison.