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Harvard Medical School body parts theft settlement
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2026-08-20 22:50 UTC → 2026-08-21 06:01 UTC ·
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Harvard Medical School has agreed to a $53 million class-action settlement to resolve lawsuits filed by families of anatomical donors. The litigation stems from a scheme orchestrated by former morgue manager Cedric Lodge, who stole and sold human remains—including brains, skin, hands, and organs—on faces—on the black market between 2018 January 1, 2018, and March 31, 2023. Lodge was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, while his wife, Denise Lodge, received a sentence of one year and a day for her involvement. Several Six other individuals who purchased the remains have also been sentenced following guilty pleas. As part of the settlement, which is pending court approval, two funds will be established to compensate the relatives or designees of affected donors. Harvard The lawsuits involve 47 relatives of body donors. While the school has reviewed federal investigation records and cremation logs, officials stated they cannot determine exactly which donors were affected. Harvard officials, including Deans George Q. Daley and Bernard S. Chang, described the theft as ‘despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant ‘flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community.’ Additionally, the school has pledged to issue a formal apology to the families and establish an annual medical student scholarship in honor of anatomical donors.
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- 2026-08-21 06:01 UTC Harvard Medical School body parts theft settlement
- 2026-08-20 22:50 UTC Harvard Medical School body parts theft settlement
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