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January 9, 2026 6 mins

Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse revealed that more than 100 human remains were found at the residence of 34-year-old Jonathan Gerlach.

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alaric hourly update, Breaking crime news Now, I'm Nicole Parton.
In Delaware, a man from Lancaster County has been arrested
following an investigation that uncovered human remains in the basement
of his home in Afreda, but not just one set,
multiple sets of human remains. During a press conference on

(00:21):
Thursday afternoon, Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse revealed that
more than one hundred individual remains were found at the
residence of thirty four year old Jonathan Gerlak. The remains
varied in condition, with some skeletons dating back over two
hundred years and others being remains of infants only a

(00:41):
few months old. Currently, authorities have not established a clear
motive for the situation, but they suspect that the remains
may be linked to a series of grave robberies at
Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeden, Pennsylvania, located just outside of Philadelphia.
Rouse noted that the remains were discovered in different arrangements,

(01:03):
some displayed hanging in the basement, others assembled together. Several
skulls were found in showcases on a shelf. Police Chief
Henry Giamarco, Junior described the situation as quote the most
horrific thing I've ever seen. Yourden Mayor Rowan Hepkins stated
the investigation was initiated after he was alerted by members

(01:25):
of the Friends of Mount Mariah Cemetery about break ins
at the mausoleums. Following this, Hepkins reached out to the police,
who began increased patrol in the area. As the investigation progressed,
police identified Gerlak as the suspect, leading to his arrest
on January sixth as he was leaving the cemetery. Core

(01:46):
documents reveal that the man was found with a burlap
sack containing remains, including the mummified bodies of two small children,
three skulls, and various other bones. On Wednesdays, authorities executed
a search warrant at his home, where they discovered over
a hundred human skulls, two decomposing torsos, in a range

(02:08):
of other human remains. According to court filings, he faces
a total of five hundred and seventy four charges, including burglary,
abuse of a corpse, and criminal trespassing. The man is
currently being held at the Delaware County Prison awaiting a
preliminary hearing set for January twenty or Crime and Justice News.

(02:29):
After this, a mother and stepfather are facing charges of
child abuse after authorities discovered they relocated to Florida but
left their daughter to fend for herself in their Alabama home.
The Mobile County Sheriff's Office reported that the young girl

(02:49):
had been living alone in a mobile home infested with
urine feces, roaches, rats, and trash. She also had with
her seven dogs. Tragically, one of the dogs was found
dead inside a closet in the home. The couple allegedly
moved from Mobile County to Pensacola, Florida, last February, around
the time of their daughter's thirteenth birthday. The investigation was

(03:12):
triggered when employees at a Dollar General store noticed the
girl staggering down the road in front of the store
in alerted law enforcement. Upon arrival, deputies found the girl
suffering from dizziness and stomach pain. She was promptly taken
to the hospital for medical attention, where police conducted an interview.
During the interview, the teen girl revealed that she had

(03:33):
been living alone with the dogs in the mobile home
since around February of the previous year. She mentioned that
her mother, Michelle Lynn Pertilla, and her stepfather, Eugene Madrino,
had moved to Pensacola and the last time she seen
them was Halloween. The girl indicated that her main form
of communication with her parents was Snapchat and that her

(03:55):
mother occasionally sent food through door dash or Walm deliveries.
On Monday, authorities, along with the pintured Animal Control, executed
a search warrant at the home. They discovered the interior
in deplorable conditions, littered with waste and filth. The seven
dogs were found on the property, one dead. Detectives also
discovered a handwritten note from the girl titled how many

(04:19):
times Mom tells me she can't pick up, which contained
a total of eighty seven tally marks. Law enforcement managed
to locate the parents for questioning. When asked why their
daughter was left alone, the mother reportedly claimed it was
due to the girl's desire to stay with her animals,
though it remains unclear if any of the dogs at

(04:39):
the residence were indeed a service animal or a pet,
or just left behind like the child. Both Prittilla and
Madreno have been charged with child abuse and animal cruelty.
They're being held at the Mobile County Metro Jail. Mobile
County Sheriff Paul Birch commended the Dollar General employees for
their quick action and paying attention to a girl in need.

(05:02):
And now to Oklahoma, a couple has been taken into
custody for allegedly mistreating the woman's twelve year old son,
who has been missing for a week. Hunter McGee, a
spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, reported that
Ryan Davis experienced sexual abuse while residing with his mother
and stepfather, Kimberly and George Cole. According to KOC, Davis

(05:27):
was last spotted at the Quality Inn in Chickashaw on
January two, leading to an endangered missing advisory that was
issued four days later. Authorities believe that Davis is still alive, saying,
in part, I want to express my gratitude to everyone
who is continuing to work on this case. We just
want to bring the child home. Both George and Kimberly

(05:51):
faced charges of child abuse and sexual abuse, with officials
indicating that apparent harm was inflicted. Further details regarding the
name of the alleged defensives have not been made public. However,
McKee mentioned that it remains unclear if the abuse is
connected to the disappearance of their twelve year old child
or another child that was in their custody. Davis is

(06:14):
described as for eleven. He weighs about one hundred pounds.
He has brown hair and brown eyes. At the time
of his disappearance, he was wearing a red and black
plaid shirt, dark jeans, and brown steel toe boots. Anyone
with information about Davis's location is asked to contact the
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at one eight hundred five

(06:37):
to two eight zero one seven or the latest crime
in justice news. Follow Crime Alert hourly update on your
favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert. I'm Nicole Parton
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Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace

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