What follows is the main wording from the letters that were sent via expedited mail on June 14, 2023 from the Dean of Harvard Medical School to the registered next of kin for anatomical donors who generously donated their bodies to the Harvard Medical School Anatomical Gift Program. Unfortunately, email addresses for next of kin are not documented in our system, so we had to rely on printed and mailed letters instead of email.

HMS is sharing this for transparency. While our records include up to two documented next of kin for each anatomical donor, we know that additional family members and loved ones are affected by this news and we want everyone to have access to the information, resources, and supports available.

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I am profoundly saddened to report that today the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the indictment and arrest of Cedric Lodge, a former HMS employee, for the unlawful interstate transport of stolen human remains. Lodge worked in the morgue as part of the Anatomical Gift Program until HMS terminated his employment on May 6.

The indictment charges Lodge with the unlawful interstate transport of stolen human remains from “in or about 2018 through on or about August 16, 2022.” We have been working with information supplied by federal authorities and examining our records, particularly the logs showing when donor remains were sent to be cremated and when Lodge was on campus, to try to determine which donors may have been impacted. [In each letter, HMS then informed next of kin either that at this time we do not believe their loved one’s remains were impacted, or that at this time we cannot rule out the possibility that their loved one’s remains may have been impacted.]

These alleged criminal acts are morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards that Harvard Medical School, our anatomical donors, and their loved ones expect and deserve. On behalf of the faculty and staff of Harvard Medical School, we are deeply sorry for the pain and uncertainty caused by this troubling news. We pledge to engage with you and support you during this distressing time.

HMS has created a webpage with available resources for family members and next of kin at: hms.harvard.edu/family-resources. In addition, we have set up a toll-free information and support center you can reach at 1-888-268-1129. This line is staffed by specially trained counselors who are currently available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., excluding holidays, and will do their best to answer your questions based on the information available at the time.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has stated that they will continue to attempt to identify victims and contact as many of the victims’ families affected by this case as possible. If anyone believes they or a family member may have been affected by the conduct charged in the indictments and information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim and Witness Unit at usapam.victim.information@usdoj.gov or 717-614-4249.

An important and meaningful part of how all first-year medical and dental students learn human anatomy is through the dissection and examination of donor cadavers. As an HMS student myself, I learned anatomy in the same dissection laboratory used today. The enormous respect and gratitude I felt toward the donors and the deep reverence I held for the process of dissection remain present with me today. Learning anatomy transforms students from pre-meds to physician-healers; it is an experience that changes your heart and soul, forever. Those values are passed down every fall to our new students who, each year at the conclusion of their studies, hold a poignant, private memorial service to honor the donors.

As a learning community whose mission is to alleviate suffering and improve health and well-being for all, HMS is dedicated to introspection, innovation, and growth, particularly in the face of challenge. These values drive our commitment to do all we can to prevent something like this from happening again. To that end, Harvard University has appointed an external panel of experts to evaluate our Anatomical Gift Program and morgue policies and practices, with the goal of providing constructive feedback and recommendations to improve security for the program and for the generous whole-body donations it receives.

We owe it to you, as well as to our community, our profession, and our patients and their loved ones to ensure that HMS is worthy of the donors who have entrusted their bodies to us for the advancement of medical education and research. There is nothing more sacred and worthy of our attention and respect.

Sincerely,

George Q. Daley
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Harvard University