A former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School has been handed an eight-year prison sentence for his involvement in trafficking body parts stolen from cadavers donated to the institution. This unsettling case highlights a breach of trust and ethics at one of the nation’s most prestigious universities.

Cedric Lodge, 58, hailing from Goffstown, New Hampshire, was sentenced in federal court in Pennsylvania on December 16. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania made the announcement, underscoring the gravity of the crimes committed.

Also implicated in the scheme, Lodge’s wife, Denise Lodge, 65, received a sentence of one year and one day for aiding her husband in the interstate transportation of these illicitly obtained remains.

Between 2018 and March 2020, Cedric Lodge exploited his position at Harvard to secretly remove body parts from the morgue. This was done without the consent or knowledge of Harvard, the donors, or their families. He then transported these remains to his home in New Hampshire, a move that was in direct violation of the anatomical gift donation agreements.

According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, the body parts taken included organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads, and other parts. These were taken after the cadavers had been utilized for educational and research purposes but prior to their scheduled disposal.

Subsequently, Cedric, along with Denise, engaged in selling these body parts. The couple conducted transactions both in person and by shipping them across state lines, as reported by federal prosecutors. This sordid affair underscores the importance of stringent oversight and ethical adherence in handling donated human remains.

In a statement to Oxygen, Harvard Medical School called Cedric’s actions “abhorrent and inconsistent with the standards and values that Harvard, our anatomical donors, and their loved ones expect and deserve.”

“While Lodge’s sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, the process of healing from the pain he caused continues,” the school’s statement continued. “Our Anatomical Gift Program relies on the deep, selfless commitment of individual donors and their families to provide essential educational opportunities to medical students, surgeons, pharmacists, and many allied health professionals. We reaffirm our deep sorrow for the families of donors who may have been impacted.”

The Lodges’ sentencing comes just over two and a half years after Cedric’s firing and arrest became national news.

He pled guilty to the interstate transport of human remains this May, following his wife’s own guilty plea.