Inside the House of Skulls: The Full Timeline of the Jonathan Gerlach Investigation

INVESTIGATION TARGET: JONATHAN C. GERLACH

INCIDENT LOCATION: 100 WASHINGTON AVENUE, EPHRATA PA

CHARGES: ABUSE OF CORPSE (x100), THEFT, DESECRATION

STATUS: INCARCERATED ($1M BAIL)

KEYWORDS: #HouseOfSkulls #JonathanGerlach #EphrataCrime #MountMoriah

I. THE WEDNESDAY MORNING RAID: EPHRATA POLICE RESPONSE

It started on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Residents of Washington Avenue in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, are used to quiet mornings. But that day, the street was lined with unmarked cars. These weren't Ephrata police cruisers; they were detectives from the Yeadon Police Department in Delaware County, backed by state authorities.

They weren't there for a noise complaint. They were there to execute a search warrant on the home of Jonathan C. Gerlach, who had been arrested late the previous night in Yeadon. When they breached the door of the modest two-story home at 100 Washington Avenue, the smell hit them first. District Attorney Tanner Rouse later described it to the press with a phrase that has now gone viral: "It was like a horror movie come to life."

II. THE "MACABRE MUSEUM": EVIDENCE INVENTORY

What investigators found inside defies belief. This wasn't just a few bones in a shoebox. It was a fully curated exhibition of death. According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause filed in Delaware County, the home contained a horrific inventory:

THE EVIDENCE LOG: 100 WASHINGTON AVE

Neighbors who watched the raid saw police carrying out bag after bag of evidence. One neighbor, Charles Rothermel, told FOX43 reporters he had seen "swarms of flies" on the garage windows months earlier—recalling there were "at least 20 or 30 on each window." It was a detail he dismissed at the time, but one that now makes sickening sense.

VIDEO EVIDENCE: Investigators search alleged grave robber's Ephrata, Pennsylvania home. CBS Philadelphia footage captures the scene at 100 Washington Avenue as investigators remove evidence from the home.

III. THE SOURCE: MOUNT MORIAH CEMETERY

Where did 100 bodies come from? The investigation began 60 miles away at the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon/Philadelphia. This sprawling Victorian graveyard had been plagued by a "serial looter" since the fall of 2025.

The thief wasn't just digging holes; he was breaking into 26 different mausoleums. He used crowbars to pry open the heavy stone crypts, opened the caskets, and took the heads. This was a targeted operation to supply the underground human remains trade in Pennsylvania.

IV. THE ARREST: CAUGHT "RED-HANDED"

Contrary to early rumors, Gerlach wasn't arrested sitting on his couch in Ephrata. He was caught in the act. On the night of Tuesday, January 6, Yeadon Police detectives were conducting surveillance at the cemetery. They observed Gerlach's vehicle exiting the grounds. When they stopped him, they found the tools of his trade in the back seat:

• A crowbar.
• Black tactical clothing.
• Burlap sacks.
• Three human skulls and the mummified remains of two children.

He was intercepted in transit, hauling fresh inventory back to Ephrata. This confirms he was actively moving remains across county lines.

V. THE DNA BREAKTHROUGH

How did they know it was him? The break in the case didn't come from high-tech surveillance. It came from a piece of litter.

Gerlach allegedly left a Monster Energy drink can at one of the looted gravesites. Detectives pulled DNA from the rim of the can and matched it to him. The irony is palpable: a man obsessed with the dead was caught because he couldn't clean up after his own living habits.

Read More: We explore this humiliating failure of Ephrata Police in Chapter 3: The Monster in the Details

VI. THE CHARGES

Jonathan Gerlach is currently held in the George W. Hill Correctional Facility on $1 Million Cash Bail. He faces a staggering 574 criminal counts (Docket CP-23-CR-0000108-2026), defined under Pennsylvania Title 18, including:

• Abuse of Corpse (100 counts)
• Theft by Unlawful Taking (100 counts)
• Receiving Stolen Property (100 counts)
• Desecration of Venerated Objects (26 counts)

But while he sits in a cell, the Borough of Ephrata is trying to wash its hands of the scandal. They want you to believe this was a "hidden" crime. But how do you hide 100 bodies in a row home? How do you hide the smell? How do you hide the flies?

They didn't hide it. We just had a government that refused to look.

🚨 Continue the Investigation

The raid on the house was only the beginning. The next day, police found a second location.

◀️ Previous: The Master Hub (Table of Contents)

▶️ Next: Chapter 2: The Second Crime Scene (The Storage Unit)

Or, return to the Case File: 📂 Inside the House of Skulls: The Complete Investigation Hub

© 2026 SUNSHINE FIRECRACKER / DR. JENNIFER GAYLE SAPPINGTON, J.D. All Rights Reserved. This content is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

EDITORIAL NOTE & DISCLAIMER: This article is an investigative report and opinion piece based on public records, court dockets, news reports, and independent analysis. All individuals mentioned, including Jonathan Gerlach, are presumed innocent of any criminal charges until proven guilty in a court of law.

Statements regarding "negligence" or "failure" represent the author's opinion and interpretation of systemic issues and are not statements of criminal fact. The term "Macabre Museum" is a quote from District Attorney Tanner Rouse.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This commentary may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.