Harvard University Agrees To Rs 507 Cr Settlement Over Morgue Body Parts Theft

Harvard University has agreed to pay Rs 507 crore ($53 million) to settle civil lawsuits stemming from the theft and illegal sale of human body parts from a morgue at Harvard Medical School. 

The settlement follows the conviction of Cedric Lodge, a former manager of the medical school’s morgue, who admitted to stealing dissected human heads, brains, skin, hands, faces and other human remains and selling them on the black market.

Lodge, 58, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December after pleading guilty to the charges. Harvard Medical School Dean



George Daley and Dean for Medical Education Bernard Chang said on Monday that the settlement would allow the university and the complainants to avoid prolonged litigation.

“While Lodge's sentencing concludes the criminal case against him, and the class action settlement agreement, when fulfilled, would conclude the civil cases, the process of recovering from this painful incident continues,” Daley and Chang said in a letter. 

The medical school said multi-million-dollar settlement funds would be established for the affected families once the court grants approval.