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

The prestigious Harvard Medical School has reached a $53 million settlement to resolve class action lawsuits filed by relatives of body donors whose remains were allegedly stolen and sold on the black market by the school's former morgue manager. In a letter to the community, Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley and Bernard S. Chang expressed their disgust over the actions of former morgue manager Cedric Lodge, calling them "despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values."

Pending court approval, two settlement funds totaling $53 million will be established to address the lawsuits filed by 47 relatives of the donors. The remains were donated for research and education purposes, but it remains unclear which specific donors' remains were stolen by Lodge. After his conviction in 2023, Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the ghastly scheme of selling body parts. Since then, several others have also faced charges related to this illicit activity.