Harvard University has agreed to a $53 million class-action settlement to resolve lawsuits filed by families of people whose donated remains were stolen from Harvard Medical School’s morgue and sold on the black market. A Suffolk Superior Court judge in Boston granted preliminary approval of the agreement this week.
The settlement stems from the actions of former morgue manager Cedric Lodge, who stole body parts from cadavers donated for medical education and research. The funds will be distributed to eligible relatives of donors whose remains passed through the morgue between 2018 and early 2023, according to court records and university statements reported by The Harvard Crimson.
Details of the Theft
Lodge served as manager of the morgue for Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gift Program for nearly three decades.
Federal prosecutors said that from 2018 through at least March 2020, and in some accounts extending to August 2022, Lodge removed human remains—including organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads, and other parts—from donated cadavers after they had been used for teaching and research but before proper disposal under donor agreements.
Among the most disturbing details presented by prosecutors, Cedric Lodge provided human skin stolen from the Harvard morgue to a buyer so it could be tanned into leather and bound into a book—a practice Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin described in a court filing as a “deeply horrifying reality.” In another instance, Lodge and his wife sold a man’s face, which prosecutors said may have been kept as a display item or used for even more disturbing purposes, according to reporting on the sentencing documents and earlier federal court filings.
He transported the remains to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, without the knowledge or permission of Harvard, the donors, or their families.
There, he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the parts to buyers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and other states, sometimes shipping them and sometimes arranging in-person transfers. Many of the remains were later resold for profit, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release from the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors described the scheme as involving the interstate transport of stolen human remains. Lodge was one of several individuals indicted in the broader network.
Criminal Sentences
Cedric Lodge, 58, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on December 16, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann to 96 months (eight years) in federal prison.
Denise Lodge, 65, received a sentence of 12 months and one day for her role in assisting with the sales and transportation, the Justice Department announced. Six other co-conspirators who purchased remains from the Lodges also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or faced sentencing, according to federal court records and reporting.
Civil Lawsuits and Settlement Terms
Families began filing civil lawsuits against Harvard in the summer of 2023 after Lodge’s indictment became public. The suits alleged negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and emotional distress, claiming the university failed to adequately protect the donated remains.
An initial class-action filing estimated that between 350 and 400 donated cadavers may have been affected.
A state court judge initially dismissed the cases, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court revived them. On August 17, 2026, Harvard and the plaintiffs jointly asked the court to approve the $53 million class-action settlement. Preliminary approval followed shortly afterward, with a final approval hearing scheduled for later this year, as reported by The Harvard Crimson.
Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley and Dean for Medical Education Bernard S. Chang stated in an email to affiliates the following:
“While Lodge’s sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement when fulfilled would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues.”
As part of the settlement, the school will provide a statement to claimant families via live webinar affirming that Lodge’s conduct was “morally reprehensible” and inconsistent with Harvard’s standards.
It will also summarize improvements made to the Anatomical Gift Program and establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year “in appreciation and in honor of all of our anatomical donors,” according to the university’s announcement covered by The Harvard Crimson.
Two class-action settlement funds totaling $53 million will be established. A third-party administrator will notify potential class members and distribute the funds, a process expected to take several months.
Harvard has maintained that Lodge’s actions occurred without the school’s knowledge or permission. The university fired him following the federal investigation that became public in 2023. The settlement resolves the civil claims against Harvard related to the morgue scandal. Final court approval and distribution of funds remain pending.
