The Facebook Marketplace of Horrors: Inside the groups where bones are traded like baseball cards.

It Wasn't the Dark Web

When we hear about the illegal sale of human body parts, we imagine the "Dark Web"—encrypted Tor browsers, Bitcoin wallets, and shadowy Russian servers. The terrifying reality of the Jonathan Gerlach case is that he wasn't hiding in the digital shadows. He was hiding in plain sight.

He was operating on the same app you use to like photos of your niece’s graduation. He was using Facebook and Instagram.

The "Private Group" Loophole

Our investigation into the online footprint of "Deadshitdaddy" reveals a thriving, barely-hidden ecosystem of "Oddities" trading. These aren't open Marketplace listings (which would be flagged by AI). These are Private Groups with names like:

• The Bone Room
• Human Bones and Skull Selling Group
• Oddities & Curiosities Exchange

How It Works: To get in, you usually have to answer a few "vetting" questions.

• "Are you law enforcement?" (No.)
• "Do you agree not to report posts?" (Yes.) Once inside, the feed looks just like a neighborhood yard sale group—except the merchandise is dead.

Exhibit A: The Language of the Trade

Screenshots from within these oddities communities reveal a specific code used to bypass moderation filters. Sellers like Gerlach don't just say "I stole this corpse." They use euphemisms:

• "Medical Prep": Implies the bones were antique medical specimens (legal to own), even if they were stolen fresh from a grave.
• "Wet Specimen": Refers to soft tissue preserved in jars (brains, hearts, or the "human skin bag" mentioned in Chapter 2).
• "Deaccessioned": A museum term stolen to make looted items sound legitimate.

The "Deadshitdaddy" Brand: Gerlach didn't just participate; he influenced. His Instagram handle, @deadshitdaddy, wasn't subtle. It was a billboard. He treated human remains with the casual irreverence of a sneakerhead flipping limited-edition Nikes.

Exhibit B: The Price List

Based on the Affidavit of Probable Cause and general market rates in these groups, we can reconstruct the economy that Gerlach was running out of Ephrata. This was not a hobby. It was a business.

Item, Black Market Estimate, Notes

Human Skull (A-Grade),"$800 - $1,200", Must have full teeth/mandible.

Human Skull (Pathology),"$1,500+", Visible disease/injury adds value.

Femur/Long Bones,$200 - $400," Often used for ""art"" or carving."

"Wet"" Specimens","$300 - $1,000", Organs/tissue in jars. High risk.

Child/Infant Remains,"$2,000+", The rarest and darkest tier of the market.

Note: With 400+ bones found in his home, Gerlach was sitting on a disturbingly high-value inventory.

The Failure of "Big Tech"

This investigation raises a massive question for Meta (Facebook/Instagram): How does an algorithm that can detect a copyrighted song in 3 seconds fail to detect a man selling a bag of human skin?

Ehe answer is likely Volume and Apathy.

• The Volume: There are thousands of "Oddities" groups.
• The Apathy: Unless a user reports it, the AI often misses it. "Bones" can be sold as "Halloween props" or "educational models," confusing the sensors. Gerlach exploited this grey area. He built a storefront on Mark Zuckerberg’s platform, and until the Yeadon Police physically caught him, the digital police were asleep at the wheel.

The Buyer's Remorse

The scariest part of Chapter 10 isn't the seller—it's the buyers. Every transaction has two sides. For every skull Gerlach shipped from the Ephrata Post Office, there was a person on the other end eagerly tracking the package.

Who are they?

• Edgy interior designers?
• Goth subculture collectors?
• Practitioners of dark spiritualism?

Whoever they are, they are now holding stolen evidence. The digital receipts from Gerlach’s seized phone are likely being printed out by the District Attorney right now. The "Facebook Marketplace of Horrors" is about to close, and the customers might be getting a knock on the door next.

🚨 Continue the Investigation

The digital trail is undeniable. But the physical trail—the one that leads to the courtroom—is just beginning. What charges is he actually facing?

⬅️ Previous: Chapter 9: Living in the Blast Zone

➡️ Next: Chapter 11: The 500 Counts (Understanding the Charges)

More on Vocal from Sunshine Firecracker☀️🧨:

• Inside the House of Skulls: The Complete Investigation (Master Hub)
• The Man Who Collected Death: A Profile of Jonathan Gerlach
• Is Your Town Hall Breaking the Law? A Citizen's Guide to Official Oppression in Pennsylvania

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARK NOTICE © 2026 Sunshine Firecracker / Dr. Jennifer Gayle Sappington, J.D. All Rights Reserved.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER The content provided in this article is for informational, educational, and advocacy purposes only.

EDITORIAL NOTE Pricing estimates and terminology are based on OSINT research into the "Oddities" collector market and details from the Gerlach Affidavit of Probable Cause.