Authorities discovered 56 decomposing bodies at a funeral home in Chicago on Thursday, according to officials. The funeral home owners, who previously operated a closed crematory due to similar issues, face scrutiny again. The Illinois state authorities have suspended a director’s license from the funeral home for keeping bodies in ‘deplorable conditions’ without refrigeration.
Complaints from neighborhood residents about a ‘stench’ led to the investigation. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office sent investigators after receiving reports about improper storage of bodies at South Chicago Chapel. Officials found bodies at various decomposition stages and are now working to identify them and notify families.
There have been no arrests yet, but Chicago police have launched an investigation. Fire department officials clarified that this was not a hazardous materials incident.
I’m discombobulated. My heart is broken,said Latasha Johnson, whose mother’s body was among those needing identification.
Blaise Von Bruchhaeuser, a neighborhood advocate, expressed anger that odor complaints had persisted for months before officials acted.
The state temporarily suspended funeral director Johanna Morgan’s license. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation cited dangerous conditions caused by keeping bodies in unrefrigerated areas infested with rodents and maggots.
Johanna Morgan, along with her husband Clark Morgan, faces a history of regulatory issues. They previously ran a crematory shut down for similar mishandlings. State Comptroller Susana Mendoza called the repeated discoveries ‘horrifying’ and ‘heartbreaking.’
Both Morgans are named in lawsuits related to the closed crematory in Chicago Heights. Police continue to investigate recent findings.
This case is the latest in a troubling trend of mishandled remains at funeral homes across the country. Similar incidents occurred in Colorado, Georgia, and Indiana over the past three years.