Harvard agrees to $53 million settlement over body parts stolen and sold by former morgue manager

Harvard Medical School has agreed to a $53 million settlement to resolve class action lawsuits filed by relatives of body donors whose remains were stolen and sold by former morgue manager Cedric Lodge. Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a scheme that involved selling body parts from cadavers. The lawsuits, brought by 47 relatives, cover donors whose remains were potentially mishandled between January 1, 2018, and March 31, 2023. Harvard Medical School deans called Lodge's actions "despicable" and a "flagrant betrayal of our values." The settlement, pending court approval, will establish two funds for the plaintiffs. In addition to the financial settlement, Harvard will provide families with a statement condemning Lodge's actions and detailing program improvements, and will establish an annual scholarship for medical students.

Harvard Medical School has agreed to a $53 million settlement to resolve lawsuits from families who alleged mishandling of donated human remains. The legal action followed the guilty plea of former morgue manager Cedric Lodge, who admitted to stealing and selling body parts from cadavers donated for medical research between 2018 and 2021. Lodge and six co-conspirators, who were not affiliated with Harvard, were indicted and pleaded guilty in 2025. The scheme involved Lodge using his position to dismember bodies and sell parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The settlement funds will be established for affected families pending court approval.

Harvard University has agreed to a $53 million settlement to resolve civil lawsuits concerning the theft and sale of human remains donated to its medical school for research. The scheme involved Cedric Lodge, a former morgue manager, who stole and sold body parts, including organs, skin, brains, and dissected heads, from cadavers between 2018 and March 2020. Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in this nationwide black market operation, and his wife also received a prison sentence. As part of the settlement, Harvard Medical School will issue a statement to affected families, affirm Lodge's conduct was "morally reprehensible," and establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students. The lawsuits, filed by affected families in 2023, alleged negligence and other claims against the university.