He stored them in the basement, authorities said — the human bones and headless torsos, the skulls and mummified feet, a skeleton with a pacemaker still attached. More than 100 pieces and parts, in all.
There were so many remains, they said, that the police officers who discovered them stopped short, stunned by what they were seeing.
Jonathan Christian Gerlach, 34, of Ephrata, is charged in what Delaware County law enforcement officials described as the most sweeping and unsettling case of its kind they have encountered: the systematic theft of human remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery, the sprawling 160-acre burial ground that straddles Philadelphia and Yeadon Borough, and the place where Betsy Ross was once interred and Civil War soldiers still lie.
“After 30 years, I can say this is probably the most horrific thing that I’ve seen,” said Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco.
Authorities announced Gerlach’s arrest Thursday on charges of burglary, abuse of corpse and desecration and theft or sale of venerated objects. He is being held in jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
Inside the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement officials projected Gerlach’s photo — his neck covered in tattoos, a gold ring through his nose, green eyes rimmed red — onto a television screen as they outlined crimes whose scale and depravity District Attorney Tanner Rouse said were difficult to comprehend.
Prosecutors said Gerlach repeatedly broke into mausoleums and underground vaults, prying them open with tools and carrying away bodies, bones, and body parts, leaving behind desecrated graves and questions.
The thefts began last fall, authorities said, and ended after dark on Jan. 6, when Yeadon Borough detectives caught Gerlach as he was leaving the cemetery.
For weeks, the detectives had been tracking reports of vandalism and theft from at least 26 mausoleums and underground vaults inside Mount Moriah Cemetery, said Yeadon Mayor Rohan Hepkins, who sits on the cemetery’s board and who brought the case to police.
Investigators tied Gerlach to the crimes, investigators said, after his brown Toyota RAV4 began appearing on nearby license plate readers around the times the burglaries were believed to have occurred. The vehicle had never shown up on the readers before the thefts began, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Gerlach’s arrest. Records also showed his cell phone in the area.
“This was good, old-fashioned police work,” Rouse said.
On Jan. 6, detectives said they watched Gerlach walk out of the cemetery carrying a burlap sack and a crowbar. He was arrested beside his SUV, its back seat strewn with human remains. Inside the sack, detectives said, were the mummified remains of two children, three skulls, and several loose bones.
According to the affidavit, Gerlach told detectives he had used the crowbar to pry open a grave that night to steal the remains. He also admitted to taking at least 30 sets of human remains from across the cemetery, investigators said.
The next day, Jan. 7, a search of Gerlach’s home on the 100 block of Washington Avenue in Ephrata uncovered what Rouse described as the grim collection he had been amassing: remains scattered on shelves and suspended from the ceiling, some in fragments, others stitched back together.
Despite what authorities called overwhelming evidence that Gerlach committed the crimes, much remains unknown, Rouse said Thursday.
“We don’t know what he was doing with them,” he said.
Investigators have not identified a motive, and they cannot say whether Mount Moriah was the only cemetery targeted.
“There are other reports out there that we have not been able to corroborate,” Rouse said, declining to name specific locations. “And frankly, I don’t know that we ever will.”
Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law Thursday banning cell phones in New Jersey public schools from “bell to bell”in an effortto help students focus on learning.
During a bill-signing event at Ramsey High School in Bergen County, Murphy said the law would promote improved academic performance and student mental health.
“By getting rid of needless distractions, we are fundamentally changing our schools’ learning environments and encouraging our children to be more attentive and engaged during the school day,” Murphy said. “This is a sensible policy that will make a world of difference for our children.”
Murphy, who said he refrains from bringing his phone into meetings, borrowed a phone to use as a propfor the news conference because his was locked in his car.
“That will be locked up until I’m no longer governor,” said Murphy, who leaves office Jan. 20.
The bill was heavily endorsed by principals and teachers, who said valuable instruction time is lost when they have to direct students to put away the devices during class.
Experts say cell phones have become a growing distraction and hinder learning. Students have been using their phones to text friends and even towatch movies during class. The devices have also been used for cyberbullying.
Bans will not go into place in schools around the state, however, until next school year.The law requires the state Department of Education to develop guidelines for districts to draft polices restricting the use of cell phones and devices by students in classrooms and during the school day.
Local school boards that operate more than 600 districts across the state must then adopt a new policy. The law takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
Many districts in South Jersey, including Cherry Hill, Deptford, Moorestown, Washington Township, and Woodbury, already restrict cell phone use in classrooms, but the policies have not been consistently enforced and punishments vary. Some require students to store their phones in lockers all day, while others allow phones during lunch and breaks.
Some districts only require students to keep their phones turned off, while others provide locations for the devices to be stored during the school day.
Under the bell-to-bell approach of the new state law, students will not be permitted toaccess their phones for the entire school day.
Lianah Carruolo, a seventh-grade student at Woodbury Junior-Senior High School, unlocks her cell phone pouch in September 2024.
Woodbury Superintendent Andrew Bell said a cell-phone-free campus policy at Woodbury Senior High School has drastically changed the culture. There are fewer disciplinary issues and students interact more with classmates and teachers, he said.
“Students are noticeably happier, engaged and present in their classrooms, and connected to one another,”said Dwayne Dobbins Jr., acting co-principal of Woodbury Junior-Senior High School.
What happens next?
Districts must adopt policies restricting cell phones during the entire school day. That may require students to lock up the devices when they arrive or secure them in locked pouches.
In South Jersey, 12 districts in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties received grants. The grant amounts varied depending on the size of each district.
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Gloucester City Superintendent Sean Gorman said his district used a $10,823 grant to install cabinets in classrooms where students in grades 7-12 must lock up their devices when they arrive for homeroom. Younger students are instructed to leave the devices at home, he said.
“We know it’s right for kids,” Gorman said. “If you let them bury their head in their phone for a good portion of the day they will.”
Other districts, like Woodbury, have opted to use locked pouch systems to store students’ phones. They retrieve their phones at the end of the day.
Some parents have expressed concern that they will not be able to reach their children, especially in the event of an emergency. School officials say parents will still be able to contact their children through the main office.
There have also been arguments by opponents that states are overreacting with the cell phone bans and that the legislation is unlikely to have the intended impact.
But groups have parents have also mobilized to speak out against cell phone use, circulating pledges to wait until eighth grade or high school to purchase phones for their children.
Are there exceptions to the ban?
Districts will have some flexibility to allow exceptions. For example, some students use their phones for medical conditions such as glucose testing.
Exceptions may also be made for students with individual education plans or IEPs and use devices such as tablets and ear buds as part of their curriculum.
Before the law signed Thursday, some districts allowed students to retrieve their phones during breaks, in the hallways between classes or during lunch. The law no longer permits that.
Will students be penalized?
It will be left to districts to decide how policy violations should be handled. Some districts with policies already have opted for a progressive discipline approach.
Gorman said Gloucester City has had 60 violations at its high school since the new policy took effect in September, down from 130 the previous year. The school has 731 students.
First-time offenders are given a two-day, in-school suspension and their phone is confiscated, Gorman said. A second offense gets a four-day, in-school suspension; three-time offenders are given a three-day, out-of-school suspension and remanded to an alternative program, he said.
Gorman said students have largely accepted the policy. The school has had fewer disciplinary problems and conflicts typically escalated through text messages have decreased, he said.
“We barely had any repeat offenders,” Gorman said.
Facing a deadline Thursday to agree on 2026 salaries or file for arbitration with seven players, the Phillies went 7-for-7, including a one-year deal with Alec Bohm.
But will Bohm still be on the roster by opening day?
The Phillies remain focused on bringing back J.T. Realmuto, according to multiple major league sources. But with the cornerstone catcher still unsigned, the team plans to have a video meeting next week with free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, a source said, confirming a report from The Athletic.
Several hurdles exist in a potential pursuit of Bichette, not the least of which is his positional fit with the Phillies. Save for 32 innings at second base in last year’s World Series, he played only shortstop in seven seasons with the Blue Jays.
The Phillies aren’t moving shortstop Trea Turner and value Bryson Stott’s defense at second base. Bichette hasn’t played third, but the Phillies have transitioned other players to new positions under highly regarded infield coach Bobby Dickerson (Bryce Harper in 2023, for instance.) And other teams are considering Bichette at third base, too.
There’s also a financial component. The Phillies have roughly $302 million in 2026 payroll commitments, encroaching on the highest luxury-tax threshold. They will pay a 110% tax on expenditures above $304 million. (Their 2025 payroll was $314.3 million, fourth-highest in baseball and not including a $56.1 million luxury-tax bill due this month.)
Alec Bohm agreed Thursday on a $10.2 million salary for 2026, avoiding arbitration with the Phillies. He’s eligible for free agency after the season.
It’s unlikely, then, that the Phillies could sign Bichette and Realmuto. Fitting Bichette into the budget probably would require not only finding a less-expensive catcher, but also trading Bohm at a time when third base-needy teams can still choose from free agents Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez. Bohm agreed Thursday on a $10.2 million salary for 2026, his last season before free agency.
Bichette, who will be 28 this season, reportedly is drawing interest from other big-market teams, including the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs, according to the New York Post.
He also is a .294 career hitter, including .311 last season, with a high contact rate and right-handed power. He hit 18 homers last season, averaged 24 from 2021 to 2023, and could provide protection in the middle of the order for Harper or Kyle Schwarber. And Bichette has a close relationship with new Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly, for whom he played in Toronto.
If the Phillies pivoted from Realmuto, they would have to find a catcher to at least split time with Rafael Marchán or Garrett Stubbs. They also would risk disrupting a starting rotation that reveres Realmuto. Zack Wheeler rarely shakes off any pitch he calls; Cristopher Sánchez described his impact this way: “We’re basically nothing without him.”
The Phillies made at least one offer to Realmuto last month, according to an MLB.com report. But Realmuto is holding out for a higher salary over a two- or three-year term after making a catcher-record $23.1 million per year since 2021. At age 35 this season, he’s unlikely to come close to that salary.
In addition to Bohm, the Phillies reached agreements on 2026 contracts with the following players (salary figures are according to major league sources): pitchers Jesús Luzardo ($11 million), Jhoan Duran ($7.5 million), and Tanner Banks ($1.2 million); Stott ($5.9 million); infielder Edmundo Sosa ($4.4 million); and outfielder Brandon Marsh ($5.2 million).
Frances Ola Walker, 86, of Philadelphia, cofounder of Parents Against Drugs and Dunlap Community Citizens Concerned, onetime president of the Mill Creek Coalition and director of the West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone, former aide to U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III, college instructor, mentor, and volunteer, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, of respiratory illness at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania-Cedar Avenue.
A lifelong champion of education, civil rights, comprehensive healthcare, environmental responsibility, employment and housing equity, and community partnerships, Ms. Walker spent more than 70 years, from age 13 to 86, protesting injustice, improving life for her neighbors, and caring for historic residential swaths of West Philadelphia.
In the 1960s, she marched with fellow activist Cecil B. Moore and others to protest segregation at Girard College. Most recently, she advocated for alternative SEPTA transit routes to support Black-owned businesses.
“I just stayed involved,” she said in a video interview for the West Philadelphia Landscape Project. “If there was a protest, I was leading it. … I’m glad I made a contribution people can respect.”
Ms. Walker (center) spoke often at awards ceremonies and civic events.
She cofounded Dunlap Community Citizens Concerned in the early 1980s to address housing and infrastructure concerns, and Parents Against Drugs in the late ‘80s. She led the local Healthy Start federal initiative to reduce infant mortality in the 1990s and served on the advisory board of Bridging the Gaps, a healthcare partnership of academic health institutions and community groups.
She developed programs that connected University of Pennsylvania students and faculty with neighborhood residents through what is now Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. She acquired federal funds to revitalize communities in the West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone, partnered with Penn to pioneer urban ecology projects, and supervised the West Philadelphia Landscape Project in the Mill Creek neighborhood.
Her family said she was “fearless in her pursuit of justice.”
Anne Whiston Spirn, professor of landscape architecture and planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, invited Ms. Walker to lecture virtually in her ecological urbanism course. “She bridged the worlds of university, politics, and neighborhood, and called the powerful to account,” Spirn said.
Ms. Walker (left) presents an award to U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (center) as a Philadelphia police officer looks on.
She served on then-Mayor Ed Rendell’s search committee for a new health commissioner in 1993 and briefly considered her own run for City Council. She worked with then-Vice President Al Gore on his community empowerment programs and managed Gray’s West Philadelphia office for 10 years in the 1980s.
Former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah noted her “extraordinary legacy of helping others” and said: “She always chartered her own path and spoke her truth.” Former City Council member at large Blondell Reynolds Brown said: “Her unwavering grassroots work brought care, dignity, and possibility to families facing hardships.”
She studied community engagement in MIT’s Mel King Community Fellows Program in 2000 and 2001, and earned more than 100 awards, citations, and commendations, including from the White House for her leadership in a children’s immunization campaign.
Regarding drugs and crime in West Philadelphia, Ms. Walker said in 1987: “People in this community have to take a stand.”
“My grandmother didn’t leave us directions,” said her grandson, Abdul-Malik Walker, “but she left us a compass. Her voice is in our habits, and her strength is in how we handle the miles ahead.”
Frances Ola Walker was born Jan. 20, 1939, in South Philadelphia. Her father was a preacher, and the family is related to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So it surprised no one when she began leading academic tutoring for her siblings and teen neighborhood friends on her front stoop.
She was one of 11 children, and her family moved to the Dunlap section of West Philadelphia in 1945. She attended West Philadelphia High School and worked at first as a personal shopper for neighborhood seniors.
She was always interested in civic affairs and social justice, and she became the first Black woman to work at an Acme markets warehouse, her family said, and one of the first female postal carriers.
Ms. Walker stands with her grandson Abdul-Malik Walker.
She had sons Gregory and James, and daughters Michelle, Roslyn, Wala, and Patricia. She married John Ponnie. Her husband, sons Gregory and James, and daughters Michelle and Patricia died earlier.
Ms. Walker enjoyed traveling and playing cards with her family. She knew the detailed history of Dunlap and Mill Creek, and delighted in sharing it with others she encountered on her frequent walks.
“She was an encourager to people of all ages,” said her niece Sibrena Stowe. “She was truly a force to be reckoned with.”
Ms. Walker told her family: “It is through love that all things are possible. For me, it is when people call on you that lets you know you make a difference.”
Ms. Walker appeared in this documentary video for the West Philadelphia Landscape Project.
In addition to her daughters, niece, and grandson, Ms. Walker is survived by 16 other grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, two sisters, and other relatives. Six sisters and two brothers died earlier.
Visitation with the family is to be from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Ezekiel Baptist Church, 5701 Grays Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19143. A service is to follow, and a repast at 2 p.m. Livestream is at repastai.com/frances.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro officially launched his widely expected bid for reelection Thursday, spending his first day back on the campaign trail in one of the nation’s most politically divided states by touting his achievements for workers, seniors, and schools while contrasting himself against Republicans in President Donald Trump’s Washington.
The Montgomery County Democrat presented his opening argument to voters Thursday afternoon in a highly produced campaign rally at a Pittsburgh union hall, before appearing Thursday night before Philadelphia voters at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center in Nicetown.
Shapiro, 52, of Abington Township, will pursue his reelection bid by crisscrossing the state, boasting a high approval rating that Republicans hope to damage as talk of his potential 2028 candidacy continues to build.
Shapiro took the stage in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia following speeches from Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and a parade of public officials, labor leaders, and community advocates who touted his first term accomplishments, all delivering a similar message: Shapiro shows up and delivers for residents across the commonwealth.
At the Sixth Man Center, supporters and local leaders packed the event space in the youth sports center where Shapiro delivered a speech next to a huge mural of 76ers star Joel Embiid. Shapiro joked about his midrange jumper as he praised the center’s work.
“I am proud to be here on today to say that Josh Shapiro as governor of the commonwealth has delivered for us in a way that some thought … was impossible,” said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to an excited crowd.
The rollout signaled Shapiro’s campaign will be anchored in his administration’s motto, “Get S— Done,” emphasizing that state government should be able to solve residents’ problems effectively.
“You deserve someone who goes to work every day focused on you and on getting stuff done,” Shapiro said.
He is not expected to face a primary challenger, just like in 2022, when he later cruised to victory in the general election against far-right State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin). Mastriano, who had been teasing another run, announced Wednesday he would not join the race for governor.
This time, Republicans hope to take a stronger swing at Shapiro by coalescing around one candidate early. The state GOP endorsed State Treasurer Stacy Garrity more than a year in advance of November’s midterm election.
State Treasurer and Republican candidate for governor Stacy Garrity holds a rally on Sept. 25, 2025 at the Newtown Sports & Events Center in Bucks County.
State Republican Party Chair Greg Rothman said in a statement Thursday that Pennsylvanians have had “enough of Josh Shapiro’s lack of leadership and broken promises,” noting several of Shapiro’s missteps in his administration such as his reneging on school vouchers, a $295,000 payout over a sexual harassment claim against a former top aide, and failing to send a month’s worth of state agency mail.
“[Garrity] actually gets stuff done, she doesn’t just talk about it on the campaign trail,” Rothman added.
Garrity has contended that Shapiro — a former attorney general, county commissioner, and state representative — is more focused on running for president in 2028 than leading the state.
“Josh Shapiro is more concerned with a promotion to Pennsylvania Avenue than serving hardworking Pennsylvanians,” Garrity said in a statement earlier this week, noting the state fared poorly in U.S. News and World Report rankings on the economy and education.
But that’s part of the appeal for some of Shapiro’s supporters.
Fernando Rodriguez, who works at Fox Chase Farm in Philadelphia, was eager to hear Shapiro’s stump speech. The 37-year-old didn’t vote for Shapiro in 2022 and had cast only one ballot for a presidential election, voting for President Barack Obama in 2008.
But he wanted to see Shapiro win reelection and, more importantly, go on to run for president in 2028.
“There seems to be some maturity, some presidential qualities to him,” Rodriguez said, noting that is particularly important given the direction of national politics.
Shapiro has already raised $30 million to support his reelection, which is likely to boost the entire ticket.
State Democrats hope Shapiro will be able to leverage his popularity and growing national brand to bring more voters out to the polls, in what is already likely to be an advantageous midterm year for the party.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do and it’s not just about reelecting the governor,” Eugene DePasquale, the chair of the state Democratic Party, said Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s supporters cheer as he makes his way to the stage during a reelection announcement event event at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center in Philadelphia on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
‘The hard work of bringing people together’
Offering an opening pitch to voters, Shapiro highlighted key themes he is expected to repeat during the next 10 months on the campaign trail: He’s protected Pennsylvanians’ freedoms and created jobs, with more work to do.
He noted several bipartisan achievements passed by the state’s divided legislature during his time in office, including a long-sought increase to the state’s rent and property tax rebate, historic funding increases for public education, and more. Pennsylvanians, he argued, have a simple choice in November.
“Will we continue to do the hard work of bringing people together to get stuff done, or will we descend into the chaos and extremism that has gripped too many other places across our nation?” Shapiro asked in his stump speech in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
In Philly, the crowd gave this question a resounding “No.”
Shapiro’s launch drew a distinction between his style of leadership and that of Trump — whom Shapiro repeatedly called a danger to democracy prior to his reelection in 2024. Shapiro did not name the president during his announcement, but alluded to Trump — while noting his legal challenges against the Trump administration.
The move followed Shapiro’s oft-repeated tactic since Trump took office for a second time: Criticize his policies, while not alienating Trump’s supporters in Pennsylvania, as the state swung in favor of Trump in 2024.
In addition to his two campaign rallies, Shapiro kicked off his reelection bid in a video advertisement posted on social media. He led that off with footage from one of his biggest accomplishments from his first three years in office: rebuilding a collapsed section of I-95 in 12 days, in what was expected to take months.
The quick rebuild also featured in his speech in Philly, where he heaped praise on organized labor for its role in the reconstruction.
Rob Buckley with Buckley & Company, Inc., shakes hands with Gov. Josh Shapiro (right) at the end of a 2023 news conference before the reopening of I-95.
To hear Anthony Hudgins tell it, overtime fraud at the Philadelphia Fire Department is so brazen that some employees continued abusing the system even after officials started investigating them.
A paramedic was billing the city for overtime hours last May, Hudgins, the former first deputy fire commissioner, contends. But according to a federal lawsuit Hudgins filed Wednesday, there was one problem: That employee was luxuriating on a Norwegian Cruise at the time, not on the clock as a paramedic.
The alleged deception took place after The Inquirer reported that the city was investigating overtime abuse within the 2,800-member fire department and, at the same time, investigating Hudgins over a series of sexual harassment complaints made against him — claims Hudgins says were false and made by employees he’d reported for overtime abuse.
In his complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Hudgins accuses paramedics, the firefighters union president, and top city officials of defamation, subjecting him to a “bad faith” investigation, and ultimately forcing the department veteran of 31 years to lose his rank and take a $75,000 pay cut.
The dueling misconduct investigations have roiled the fire department since late 2024, and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration has declined to release the findings from either probe. Hudgins was demoted last fall.
Hudgins’ lawsuit claims that findings from the sexual harassment investigation conducted by the law firm Campbell Durrant cleared him of “verbal misconduct” and found that he had “hugged co-workers.” The complaint states that Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson told Hudgins that the investigators found: “You were just being you.”
The lawsuit did acknowledge that Parker’s administration found that Hudgins had violated the city’s sexual harassment policy and demoted him as a result. Women who lodged complaints against Hudgins said that his conduct included unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, and intimidation tactics, The Inquirer reported last year.
However, Hudgins contended in his lawsuit that the overtime review conducted by Inspector General Alexander DeSantis concluded that two of the women who’d accused him of misconduct were “proven fraudsters” who also recruited other women to file complaints.
Hudgins claimed that the overtime probe was completed in September. DeSantis told The Inquirer last month that the investigation is “still ongoing and may be for some time.” DeSantis declined further comment Thursday.
Because Parker’s administration and DeSantis have continued to decline to release the results of their investigations, it is difficult to confirm Hudgins’ account.
Parker’s administration declined to comment on the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, Hudgins called for an overtime review in fall 2024 after hearing that paramedic Jacqulyn Murphy had lodged a disproportionately high number of overtime shifts that year. While her peers averaged about 24 overtime payments, Murphy had accrued 238, more than 80% of them without the necessary approval forms, Hudgins claimed.
The department’s payroll supervisor, Marian Farris, rubber-stamped the overtime approvals, according to Hudgins’ complaint. Hudgins alerted Fire Commissioner Thompson.
But before he could finish his review, he asserts, Murphy and Farris retaliated by filing sexual harassment complaints against him and encouraging other female employees to do the same — including Tabitha Boyle, Christina Quinones, and Dana Jackson, who are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. Requests for their comments were not returned Thursday.
Murphy, now a defendant in the lawsuit, did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Payroll records show she was the ninth highest overtime earner in the department in 2024, more than doubling her $94,549 base salary.
The city paid Campbell Durrant $30,000 to conduct interviews and investigate the claims against Hudgins, who was reassigned to remote work and, later, forced to take a leave of absence.
The city has taken The Inquirer to court to block the release of overtime records related to the overtime investigation, claiming their public disclosure would jeopardize the integrity of the probe led by The Office of the Inspector General, the city’s fraud prevention watchdog.
Hudgins, in his lawsuit, claims to have seen the results of that investigation. According to his complaint, the OIG produced its findings to the city and found that Murphy and Farris had both conspired to defraud the city.
According to the complaint, the OIG report stated Murphy had received an undisclosed sum of overtime pay and then “consistently” paid Farris via CashApp. The payments occurred biweekly for at least six months in 2024.
Farris left the department in March 2025. In a phone interview Thursday, she denied any scheme involving payments with Murphy. Investigators found CashApp receipts on Murphy’s email account, but Farris said those were innocent transactions.
“It ain’t a good thing to say, but Jackie was somebody I could borrow money from when I was in Atlantic City, or I could babysit her son for her or something like that,” Farris said. “I get CashApps from my mother. I’m not doing anything fraudulent with my mother.”
Hudgins’ complaint also accused Murphy of continuing to bilk the overtime system even after Farris left the department last year.
The fire department did not respond to a request for comment on the complaint. Michael Bresnan, president of Local 22 of the International Fire Fighters and Paramedics Union, was also named as a defendant in the suit. He declined to comment Thursday.
Per the complaint, Hudgins received a phone call from Thompson in July, who told him the law firm found no wrongdoing and that he could return to work, saying, essentially:
“Good news! You’re coming back to work. You were just being you.”
Staff writer Samantha Melamed contributed to this article.
I hope by now you’ve shaken off the holiday rust and are back to your normal routine. Me? Well, I’m still recovering from the overabundance of Christmas-themed cakes and the Champagne slushies on New Year’s Eve. But I’m slowly getting back to form for what will be a special year for all of us in the region. (Even folks at the New York Times think so).
The new year is going to be a transformative one for the city. Y’know, the World Cup and the nation’s 250th celebration and all — and it’s already kicking off with some exciting events.
This week, there’s a reveal of a new waterfront art installation, the opening of a Tony Award-winning musical, and some David Bowie-loving festivities happening throughout the week.
Read below to find an event (or three) that catches your eye.
First lady Abigail Adams, portrayed by Johanna Dunphy, introduces city officials and historical and cultural leaders to start a news conference at the National Constitution Center, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, announcing 52 Weeks of Firsts. In honor of the Semiquincentennial. The Philadelphia Historic District will celebrate 52 weeks of Philly firsts in 2026. Each week throughout the year, the citywide celebration will honor everything from the first African American Methodist Episcopal Church, first Flower Show, first American flag, first zoo, first Children’s Hospital, first penitentiary, first Thanksgiving parade and first Slinky.
Of course, we Philadelphians already know our city is a great tourist attraction. But with everything planned in 2026, even more folks are taking notice.
The New York Times named Philadelphia the number one travel destination in the world this year. Along with the Semiquincentennial, Philly will be home to the MLB All-Star Game, top-end World Cup matches, a pumped Fourth of July concert, and other notable happenings.
The Times editors and reporters noted that other original colonies, like Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey, will also have stacked Semiquincentennial calendars. But Philly stands above the rest.
Read the rest of my colleague Mike Newall’s story here.
The best things to do this week
🦅 Eagles Night at the Rink!: Kick off The Birds’ postseason with a celebratory prep rally, featuring a drum line performance and appearances from Eagles cheerleaders at Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest on Friday.
🕺 Some Prince and more Bowie, please: The entire week is filled with Bowie-themed parties and musical jams, but the curators at Underground Arts are adding some Prince to the mix. The venue is hosting a Bowie and Prince dance party with DJ George Purkins on Friday.
🩺 “When the Day Comes” at Theatre Exile: What happens when a documentary filmmaker collaborates with a physician diagnosed with cancer to make a film? Find out in this limited-run production written and directed by Philadelphia native, Mikel Java. Jan. 10,11.
🎭 “Suffs” at the Academy of Music: Suffs, the Tony award-winning musical about the brave and resilient women who fought for the right to vote, is running at the Academy of Music through Jan. 18.
🌳 A Longwood Christmas continues: Just when you thought the Christmas magic was over, Longwood Gardens is extending the joy of the whimsical holiday at its magnificent conservatory. All ages are welcome to see the glimmering fountains and towering wildlife.
📅 My calendar picks this week: Fire & Frost Fun at Peddler’s Village, Le Cirque de Monsieur at Fabrika, Dr. Sketchy’s Tribute to Nosferatu at Arch Enemy Arts.
David Bowie performs with backup singer Carlos Alomar at Veterans Stadium during his Glass Spider tour July, 30, 1987.
G. Loie Grossmann / Philadelphia Daily News
In celebration of the magnetic star, who was born on Jan. 8, 1947, and died 10 years ago on Jan. 10, 48 Record Bar kicked off a Bowie-themed week with its third annual free Philly Loves Bowie Week listening party.
But the Bowie-loving didn’t stop there, Starman. On Thursday, Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar hosts Bowie Quizzo, with DJ Robert Drake spinning and John Stanley of John’s Dollar Bin fame serving drinks.
Then, Sara Sherr’s Sing Your Life Karaoke goes all Bowie at MilkBoy. Two more Bowie-themed dance parties are happening at the Trestle Inn and Underground Arts, before the closing celebration returns to Union Transfer on Saturday.
The party will feature 30 Bowie songs performed by 14 vocalists, including Richard Bush, Johnny Showcase, and Olivia Rubini.
Winter fun this week and beyond
🍿 “A Wrinkle in Time”: Madeleine L’Engle’s sci-fi classic, A Wrinkle in Time, comes to life at Old City’s Arden Theatre. The musical journey through time and space runs through Jan. 25.
❄️ Winter at Dilworth Park: The winter fun continues at Dilworth Park, with the reopening of the ice rink, winter garden, and holiday market. Stop by for some hot cocoa and a whimsical evening beneath the glimmering lights through March 14.
🎨 A new installation at Cherry Street Pier: Photographic artist Jackie Neale reveals her bold reimagining of Cherry Street Pier at the waterfront on Friday. Titled Wide Awake In Blue, the museum-scale installation incorporates stories of immigration, human rights, and collective identity through striking portraits, textiles, and sound. It runs through March 1.
🎸 Friday: Alabama-born, Texas-based country singer Dale Watson kicks off the weekend with a performance at the Sellersville Theater on Friday, and another at Elkton Music Hall in Elkton, Md. on Saturday.
🎤 Saturday: Philly rapper Reef the Lost Cauze and DJ Sat One will be featured, along with pioneering graffiti artist Cornbread, at a street art and hip-hop event at Vizion Gallery in Kensington on Saturday.
🎤 Sunday: Johnny Brenda’s will host a one-night-only concert in support of former World Cafe Live workers still reeling from the venue’s mismanagement. The show will featurePhilly acts Carsie Blanton, Ray Dreznor, Izzy True, and Sad13.
The year is just getting started, but all signs are pointing to another strong year of events. And I’m the one lucky enough to compile them all for you. Stay tuned.
Despite a loss in the regular season finale, the Eagles are heading into the playoffs healthy and rested — and trending in the right direction. Philadelphia (11-6) ended its season winning three of its last four games, earning the NFC East crown.
Now, all that stands in the way of a rematch against the Chicago Bears in the divisional round are the San Francisco 49ers (12-5), fresh off a Week 18 loss of their own. With wild-card weekend rapidly approaching, here is an updated look at the game odds and player props from the two biggest sportsbooks …
Eagles vs. 49ers wild-card odds
The last time these teams played in the playoffs was in the 2023 NFC championship game. The Eagles trounced the 49ers 31-7 in a game that was over quickly and saw both Niners quarterbacks injured. Now, three years later, both FanDuel and DraftKings have the defending Super Bowl champions as slight favorites, up a point from where they were Monday.
Jalen Hurts never touched the field in the Eagles’ Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders, as head coach Nick Sirianni opted for player health with no chance at a first-round bye. Hurts threw for a mere 110 yards in his last outing against the Bills, with under 50% of his passes finding the target.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy managed just 127 yards on 19 of 27 passing against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. For this week’s game, oddsmakers set Hurts’ total around 208 yards, while Purdy’s is near 228.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts got the day off against the Commanders Sunday.
Passing touchdown props
After five touchdown passes in a two-game span, Hurts had a down week against the Bills. He had just one touchdown throw, as the Eagles were shut out in the second half. Purdy did not throw a touchdown pass against the Seahawks.
Like Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley also had the week off against the Commanders. He ran for 68 yards a week earlier against the Bills, following a 132-yard performance in Washington in Week 16. Christian McCaffrey had 23 yards on 8 carries against the Seahawks last Saturday.
Will George Kittle lead all receivers in yards on Sunday?
Receiving yard props
Wide receiver A.J. Brown joined Hurts and Barkley as an inactive last week, while DeVonta Smith played briefly in the final game of the regular season. Smith finished the game with three catches for 52 yards, pushing himself over 1,000 yards for the third straight season. McCaffrey had 6 catches for 34 yards and Jauan Jennings totaled 35 yards on 4 catches vs. Seattle.
In Week 18, Tank Bigsby and Grant Calcaterra were the Eagles only touchdown scorers, but that was without most of the Birds starters playing. The 49ers were held without a touchdown against Seattle.
Toll Brothers, the luxury homebuilder based in Fort Washington, will have a new CEO this spring.
Karl K. Mistry, an executive vice president who has been with the company for 22 years, is set to be promoted to CEO effective March 30, Toll Brothers announced Wednesday. Mistry will succeed Douglas C. Yearley Jr., who will become executive chairman of the board.
Mistry joined Toll Brothers in 2004 and went on to hold leadership positions in the Houston and Washington, D.C., markets. Since 2021, Mistry has managed the company’s homebuilding operations in 15 states in the Eastern U.S.
“Karl has honed his skills in both strong markets and challenging ones. He has run numerous homebuilding divisions and has overseen our expansion into several major markets,” Yearley said in a statement. “With Karl at the helm partnering with our other seasoned leaders and operating teams, the company’s future is in excellent hands.”
Mistry is set to receive a base salary of $1 million, with annual cash bonuses of around $2.25 million, according to the company’s recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Karl K. Mistry, an executive vice president at Toll Brothers, is set to become the company’s next CEO starting March 30.
As executive board chair, Yearley’s base salary is set to remain at $1.2 million, according to the recent filing, and his total annual compensation is expected to be $6.6 million, including cash bonuses and long-term equity, starting in fiscal year 2027.
Toll Brothers was founded in 1967 by brothers Bob and Bruce Toll, who grew up in Elkins Park and were the sons of a homebuilder. Their company has since expanded, now building in more than 60 markets nationwide.
Douglas C. Yearley Jr., CEO of Toll Brothers, outside a model home in Newtown Square in this 2015 file photo.
Last year, Toll Brothers “executed well in a choppy environment” that saw “soft demand across many markets,” Yearley said in a statement accompanying the report.
During that time, Toll Brothers sold more than 11,000 homes for $960,000 on average, according to the report. The company described its customer base in a recent news release as “first-time, move-up, active-adult, and second-home buyers.”
A curious thing is happening behind bars: The bottles of liquors and liqueurs are disappearing, stored somewhere unseen. Instead, the backbar shelves are stacked with vinyl records. And the sound systems are also very, very good.
In the last few years, as the speakeasy trend has waned, listening bars have popped up all over, including in Philly. The perpetually full 48 Record Bar, above Old City standby Sassafras, boasts an “ultra-high-fidelity audiophile vinyl sound system.” Solar Myth, on South Broad Street, might be one of the coolest places to grab a drink — whether you’re looking for coffee or wine — and discover music you might never have otherwise.
Behind the bar at Solar Myth.
Percy, which opened in May, has a listening lounge where you can sip on their house-made wines and spirits in what looks like the set of That ’70s Show. When a DJ isn’t spinning, the staff plays vintage reggae, punk, and calypso records — including ones that co-owner Seth Kligerman’s dad collected in the ’70s and ’80s, ranging from Jimmy Cliff to The Clash.
“The first thing I did when we got our listening room speakers hooked up … I blasted the New York Dolls, my dad’s favorite band,” said Kligerman. (Percy’s speakers — four original Altec Lansing A7 Voice of the Theatre — are also from the ’70s.)
The listening room at Percy on July 31, 2025, in Philadelphia.
Stephen Starr’s LMNO has a listening lounge outfitted with a hi-fi sound system and record collection spanning soul, funk, disco, and Latin genres. “The focus is on immersive room sound rather than headphones — so the music feels shared, not isolated,” said Kayla Hagar, LMNO’s general manager. Programming ranges from DJ-led nights, vinyl-focused sessions, and ambient background listening. Once a week, at LMNO’s “Off the Walls” series, guests are encouraged to browse their vinyl wall and select records to be played. It draws Fishtown’s “younger creative crowd, an art and music-oriented demographic — audiophiles, record-collectors, and music lovers,” said Hagar. “Not necessarily a heavy mainstream dance-club crowd, but more niche, design-forward, scene-aware visitors.”
The listening lounge at Stephen Starr’s LMNO.
In 2024, after Milkcrate Cafe in West Philly and Fishtown called off vinyl nights, it seemed like the budding listening room boom may have been a scratch. But in the year and a half since, the concept has spread all over the country.
Listening rooms are seemingly everywhere — in New York, Chicago, Portland, and beyond. They integrate music into drinking experiences, often weaving in Japanese influences across menus. In L.A., chef Sean Brock, famous for specializing in Southern foodways, opened Darling, a hi-fi bar inspired by Japanese jazz kissas, orcafes where listening to records is central to the experience. In Austin, the Equipment Room serves record-inspired cocktail omakases, blurring the line between DJ and bartender.
At Press Club, a “record bar” in Washington, D.C., I snacked on chicken karaage and sipped an ume- and nori-infused shochu cocktail made by the same staffer who was spinning tracks. Press Club managing partner Will Patton listens to songs repeatedly to look for lyrical themes, and develops drink flavors according to rhythm and beat. (Think funky rum for a funky song, or melancholy music translating to cocktails with long, bitter finishes.) A rotating cocktail omakase menu, featuring multiple drinks paired with bites, is based on albums, most recently by Oasis and Bad Bunny.
Listening bars are starting to proliferate the way speakeasy-style cocktail bars did in the 2010s — popularizing hidden entrances and an Art Deco aesthetic so successfully that the speakeasy concept has been adapted to Italian restaurants and cookie stores.
At the listening bars, thoughtful, elevated beverages still reign, but bars are giving more and more physical space over to vinyl collections. They’re also hosting events throughout the day, often with visiting DJs.
Solar Myth opened in November 2022 in the former Boot & Saddle. The bar features not liquor bottles but a collection of records organized by vibe.
An Eater articlerecently heralded Philly’s listening lounges as the “antidote to the loneliness.” They’re community-oriented in the sense that you commune with others. (Just don’t talk too loud.)
The community-mindedness is palpable at Solar Myth, which opened in November 2022 and serves many purposes. Housed in the former Boot & Saddle, it’s still a live music venue, but it’s also a bottle shop and cafe serving pastries, tomato pie from Cacia’s Bakery, and Rival Brothers’ coffee. They have a staggering amaro list, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the bar, which features a collection of records — organized by vibe, from chill-out to Willie Nelson, with extensive collections of Ethio-jazz and electronic krautrock. They play the music of many small, avant-garde artists. (They also sometimes employ them:A member from the Philly-based band Knifeplay works at Solar Myth. “I feel so proud playing their record,” said barista Rachel Byrd.)
Part of the record collection at 48 Record Bar.
48 Record Bar’s bar shelves feature a collection of about 300 records. At 35 seats, it’s small, with a living room vibe. Up a winding staircase from Sassafras, the space is draped in dove-gray curtains; sound panels are upholstered in the same fabric. The bar’s host doubles as a DJ, who spun Sade and the Temptations on a recent evening. “We call that the record-butler shift,” said 48 Record Bar creative director Joey Sweeney.
Japanese ingredients are sprinkled all over the cocktail menu: yuzu, kombu, genmaicha, matcha, and of course, Japanese whiskies.
The bar at 48 Record Bar features both bottles and records.
But drinks are only part of the experience, said Sweeney. “All the elements need to sing together.” The bar also hosts tiny-desk-style live music shows, author events, and deep listening events that start at 10 a.m. on some Sundays with coffee from Thank You Thank You.
But mostly the bar’s soundtrack is whatever records are playing. Seven years ago, Sweeney went to London and visited Japanese listening bars there. He and Sassafras owner Donal McCoy opened 48 Record Bar in December 2023.
“We want to honor the tradition of these Japanese listening bars without being mawkish about it, and not doing a cosplay.”
That wouldn’t suit Philadelphia. The night I went in, I could still hold a conversation at the bar over a mock milk punch. Try that in Japan and“they will shush you,” Sweeney said. “We can’t shush you. This is Philly.”
