Skulls, mummified body parts found in Pennsylvania grave robbery case
Philadelphia (US), Jan 10: Bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car near an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia’s outskirts led police to a basement filled with body parts, which authorities say were hoarded by a man now accused of stealing about 100 sets of human remains.
Officers say a Tuesday night arrest culminated a monthslong investigation into break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where at least 26 mausoleums and vaults had been forced open since early November.
Investigators later searched the Ephrata home and storage unit of Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, and reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.
“They were in various states. Some of them were hanging, as it were. Some of them were pieced together, some were just skulls on a shelf,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said.
Most were in the basement, authorities said, and they also recovered jewellery believed to be linked to the graves. In one case, a pacemaker was still attached.
Police say Gerlach targeted mausoleums and underground vaults at the 1855 cemetery. (AP)
Man rolls out ‘unwelcome’ mat for black bear living under his house
Altadena (US), Jan 10: A huge black bear that made its den in the crawl space under a Los Angeles area man’s house for more than a month has finally been evicted.
Altadena resident Ken Johnson said the animal began denning beneath his home around Thanksgiving, twisting gas lines and toppling bricks as he came and went. Surveillance video showed the bear easily tearing away screening and other obstacles and squeezing through a small opening.
Johnson said in a phone interview Friday that he first asked state wildlife officials for help, but the air horns and paintball guns they deployed didn’t work. So he turned to BEAR League, a California-based nonprofit that bills itself as specialising in “living in harmony with bears.”
The bear was out within about 20 minutes after members from the group arrived, Johnson said.
The group placed an “unwelcome” mat, which delivers an electric shock, at the opening. Video footage showed the bear, The bear, which the group estimated weighs more than 500 pounds (227 kilograms), returning to the house, stepping on the mat and then running away. (AP)
