Harvard University is paying an arm and a leg after a former morgue manager treated donated cadavers less like sacred gifts to science and more like inventory.
According to a CBS News report [1], a Massachusetts judge has preliminarily approved a $53 million settlement resolving lawsuits brought by families whose loved ones donated their bodies to Harvard Medical School, only to have former morgue manager Cedric Lodge steal and sell body parts [2].
Federal prosecutors said Lodge stole parts from donated cadavers beginning in 2018, including heads, brains, faces, organs, skin and hands, transporting some to his home before selling them to buyers.
Lodge pleaded guilty and was sentenced in December to eight years in federal prison. His wife, Denise, received a one-year sentence.
Court documents connected Lodge’s remains to buyers including Katrina MacLean, owner of Kat’s Creepy Creations in Massachusetts, a business specializing in creepy dolls, oddities and bone art.
Harvard agrees to pay $53 million after morgue manager sold body parts to Katrina Maclean, owner of Kat’s Creepy Creationshttps://t.co/HiwBrj7hnM [3] pic.twitter.com/tLpRxHajug [4]
— Hemingwaypaws (@Hemingwaypaws) August 19, 2026 [5]
On Tuesday, MacLean was sentenced to two years in federal prison for transporting stolen human remains across state lines. Maclean admitted buying remains she knew had been stolen from Harvard Medical School and reselling some for profit. Prosecutors said Lodge even allowed Maclean inside the Harvard morgue on some occasions to view remains before purchasing them.
Families sued Harvard, accusing the university of failing to properly oversee its Anatomical Gift Program while Lodge’s operation continued for years. Harvard has condemned his conduct as abhorrent and says reforms have since been implemented. Along with the $53 million settlement, Harvard plans to establish an annual medical- school scholarship honoring anatomical donors beginning in the 2027-28 academic year.
In a case where nearly everyone involved seemed determined to lose their heads, the courts are finally putting the scandal to rest.