Good Shepherd Memorial Park

A Lancaster County man accused of stealing human remains from a Philadelphia-area cemetery is also under investigation in connection with November’s theft of two bodies from Good Shepherd Memorial Park in Luzerne County.

Police say Jonathan Gerlach, of Ephrata, stole hundreds of bodies from a cemetery near Philadelphia, and is being investigated in connection with November body thefts at Good Shepherd Memorial Park in Plains Twp., Luzerne County.

Follow along each day at WVIA.org as we publish '2025 Year in Review,' a week-long series recounting the top stories of the past year through New Year's Day. Today, check out the top news stories from some of the rural communities in our region.

On this week's News Voices, WVIA's Roger DuPuis and Isabela Weiss talk about ongoing issues at the deteriorating Good Shepherd Memorial Park in Plains Township, where two bodies were stolen from the condemned mausoleum earlier this month.

Police investigating the theft of two bodies from the condemned Good Shepherd Memorial Park mausoleum earlier this month found exposed human remains on the ground, according to a search warrant application filed in the case.

Earlier this month, the remains of two people were stolen from Good Shepherd Memorial Park. And for Plains Twp. Commissioner Peter Biscontini, the crime isn’t just immoral - it's personal.

For Plains Township Commissioner Peter Biscontini, early November’s grave robbery at Good Shepherd Memorial Park isn’t just immoral, it’s personal.