The theft of body parts from the morgue at Harvard Medical School, and their sale on the black market, has sent shockwaves through New England.
Federal prosecutors say the scheme began in 2018 and lasted into this year.
Reaction poured in Wednesday after the charges came to light, including from neighbors of the morgue's manager and from loved ones whose remains were affected.
Cedric Lodge, 55, was arrested Wednesday morning at his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire. He is accused of letting buyers come into the morgue he managed to pick what remains they wanted to buy, then stealing parts of donated cadavers like brains, skin and bones, taking them to his home and shipping them to buyers through the mail.
His wife, Denise Lodge, was also among those arrested.
"It's insane," said neighbor Roxanne Ryder. "I woke up this morning to see a whole bunch of FBI agents with their guns. It is nuts, it's spooky."
U.S. & World
Neighbors say the home was raided in March, with law enforcement showing up in hazmat suits.
Evidence was taken from the home, but neighbors didn't learn what the situation was about until now.
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"It's overwhelming," said next-door neighbor Denise Goodman. "It's baffling me that somebody would do this. We're a little appalled and disappointed."
"You don't do that," said neighbor Lionel Coulon. "You don't take somebody's body parts and sell them. I guess money must be pretty good to do it."
Meanwhile, Paula Peltonovich and he sister, Darlene Lynch, are in disbelief that parts of their father's body were among those stolen.
"It's like a dream, you know what I mean? It's like not real, but it is real," Peltonovich said.
Their parents, Nicholas and Joan Pichowicz, were police officers. They called Harvard twice before getting confirmation their family was affected.
"We didn't get a letter or anything from Harvard," Peltonovich said. "They didn't contact us."
The sisters say their parents were both giving people and wanted to donate their bodies for science.
"My concern is getting my mom back," said Peltonovich. "I don't want them to touch my mom. I mean, can you blame me? I mean, seriously, it's just the whole thing's wrong."
Harvard Medical School said Wednesday it was "deeply sorry for the pain and uncertainty caused by this troubling news." It set up a page of resources for family members of people who have donated their bodies to the Anatomical Gift Program.
Among those resources is a toll-free information and support center that can be reached 24 hours a day at 1-888-268-1129, the school said.
