Overview

• Cedric Lodge, former Harvard Medical School morgue manager, pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains in federal court on May 22, 2025.
• Lodge admitted to stealing body parts, including organs, skin, and heads, from donated cadavers between 2018 and 2020 without donor or family consent.
• The stolen remains were transported to his New Hampshire home and sold to buyers in multiple states, with some resold for profit.
• Several co-defendants, including Lodge's wife Denise Lodge, have also pleaded guilty; Denise Lodge is awaiting sentencing, while others have received prison terms ranging from 15 months to 15 years.
• The case highlights systemic gaps in oversight of body donation programs and has prompted calls for stronger regulation and transparency in the handling of donated remains.