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Descendants say the theft of body parts from Pennsylvania grave sites is not a victimless crime

Delaware County prosecutors on Friday expanded their already-sprawling case against Jonathan Christian Gerlach, filing new burglary charges tied to break-ins at cemeteries in Luzerne and Lancaster counties. Gerlach, who was arrested in January, is charged with more than 500 offenses stemming from a series of break-ins in Mount Moriah Cemetery, which spans both Philadelphia and Yeadon Borough. He faces charges that include burglary, theft, abuse of a corpse, and related crimes. Outside the courtroom on Friday, Judy Prichard McCleary, whose family mausoleum is among those prosecutors say Gerlach targeted in Mount Moriah Cemetery, said she plans to see the case through to the end. “To be able to sell body parts on the Internet just appalls me," she said. "And I think it should be stopped."
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    Associated Press, Associated Press