The Harvard Morgue Scandal - Selling the Dead

When we think of body snatching, we picture foggy graveyards and 19th-century lanterns.

But in 2023, one of the most grotesque modern-day scandals broke… not in a horror film, but in the basement of Harvard Medical School. A trusted morgue manager, a secret trafficking ring, and a betrayal that rocked families and exposed the dark underbelly of 'curiosity collecting.'

The Man With the Keys

Cedric Lodge wasn’t a janitor or lab tech, he was the manager of the anatomical gift program at Harvard. His job was to honor and oversee the remains of people who had donated their bodies to science. Instead, Lodge stole skulls, spines, and limbs, wrapping them like meat and mailing them to online buyers with macabre tastes.

An Underground Network

Federal investigators revealed that Lodge and his wife sold human remains across several states. Buyers included tattoo shop owners and collectors who displayed skulls in their homes. Some purchased body parts through Facebook groups.

One parcel even arrived labeled 'braiiiiiins.' Another: a human head in plastic wrap. It was horror... delivered to your doorstep.

A Scandal at Harvard

Harvard Medical School responded with shock and sorrow, calling Lodges actions a 'betrayal of the donor community.'

Families who believed their loved ones were advancing science instead learned their remains were trafficked like collectibles.

The case shattered public trust, and reminded us that even the most prestigious places can harbor darkness.

A Modern Echo of an Old Horror

We often think body snatching ended with the Victorian era. But this case proves otherwise. The black market for bones never disappeared… it just moved online.

Cedric Lodge didn’t need a shovel. He had a name tag, a security badge, and full access to a sacred space.

Want the Full Story?

To hear the full tale narrated with chilling, historical detail, listen to Morbid Morsel #2: 'The Man Who Sold The Dead,' now streaming on the Morbid History podcast.

🦴 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you listen.

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📜 Subscribe today—and get ready to sink your teeth into the past.