Man jailed in Hungary for collecting human body parts from a cemetery – National
Hungarian police have arrested a 30-year-old man who investigators suspect of collecting human body parts from abandoned cemeteries and from his job at a hospital.
Hungary’s National Bureau of Investigation has announced that a 30-year-old man from Budapest has been arrested on suspicion of using human corpses illegally.
“During the search, a prepared human face, facial skin, bones kept in a suitcase, a complete lower leg, brain, hand, head, skull and heart were found in the jar,” wrote the National Bureau of Investigation of Hungary. “The last part of the body is still being investigated as to whether it is of human or animal origin, but in addition, all remains seized will be examined by an expert.”
The National Bureau of Investigation said that when the man was interrogated, he said that he was “especially attracted to the parts of the human body, from which he prepared food and ate them in various ways.”
In their statement, police said the man “has a passion for anatomy and pathology, and likes to operate on animals.” They allege that he obtained body parts through his work at the hospital and by digging up corpses in “empty cemeteries in Slovakia and Hungary,” according to the Associated Press.
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The police also confiscated the man’s computer, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, SIM cards and data cards.
The suspect is currently under arrest for allegedly using human bodies illegally.
This is not the first time a situation like this has happened.
In January, a Pennsylvania man was arrested and faces more than 500 counts after he was accused of stealing a human skull and “numerous” skeletal remains from an abandoned cemetery on the outskirts of Philadelphia, according to police.
Bones and a skull found in the back seat of a car near the cemetery led police to the residence of Jonathan Gerlach, 34, after police investigated a series of burglaries.
Detectives checked Gerlach’s numbers and found he was near the cemetery several times during the break-in.
Police said the Jan. 6 arrest was the culmination of a months-long investigation into the Mount Moriah cemetery break-in, which forced the opening of at least 26 graves beginning in November 2025.
After searching Gerlach’s home and storage area, investigators reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, submerged hands and feet, two decomposing bodies and other skeletal material.
“The detectives walked into a horror movie and lived in that home. Really, in the literal sense of the word, it’s terrifying. I feel sorry for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to find out who, in fact, is one of their loved ones,” said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse.
Police said Gerlach was targeting graves and underground chambers at the cemetery, which was established in 1855. Gerlach was arrested when he returned to his car with the crowbar, police said.
He has been charged with 100 counts each of abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property, as well as multiple counts of desecrating a public monument, desecrating an object of veneration, desecrating a historic burial site, burglary, burglary and theft.
– in files from the Associated Press
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