(AP) – More than 50 bodies were found improperly stored and decomposing Thursday at a Chicago funeral home run by a couple who previously operated a crematory that was similarly shut down because of mishandled remains, authorities said.
Illinois state officials, meanwhile, suspended the license of one of the funeral home’s directors, alleging bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in “deplorable conditions.”
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said it was notified by state and local officials that bodies were being stored improperly at South Chicago Chapel, and investigators and forensic pathologists were dispatched. The remains were in various states of decomposition, officials said.
“Staff is assessing the conditions of the remains, searching for documentation regarding identification of the decedents as well as death certificates. This process could take several days to ensure proper disposition,” the medical examiner’s office said in a statement.
Police initially said fire department officials declared the scene a hazardous materials incident, but the fire department denied that on Friday.
No arrests have been announced, but city police said detectives are investigating.
Neighbors told local media outlets that there was a horrible smell coming from the funeral home area.
Messages for the funeral home were left by phone and through its website Friday.
State business records show that funeral director Johanna Morgan incorporated South Chicago Chapel Inc. in 2022 and her funeral director’s license was temporarily suspended on Wednesday.
The state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said the license suspension was due to “a finding that Respondent’s continued practice is a danger to the public safety, interest and welfare due to Respondent allowing multiple decedents to be kept in an unrefrigerated area with deplorable conditions including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies.”
The state business records also list Clark X. Morgan as the funeral home’s president. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it revoked the funeral director license of a Clark X. Morgan and fined him $10,000 in 2024 for practicing with an expired license and “unprofessional conduct” that it did not specify.
State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said Friday that Johanna and Clark Morgan previously ran a crematory in Chicago Heights, south of Chicago, which had its license revoked last year after authorities discovered improperly stored bodies and hundreds of cremated remains that had never been returned to their families.
Mendoza said many of the bodies at the crematory were stacked on top of each other and not refrigerated.
“Horrified. Again,” Mendoza said in a statement. “The discovery of decomposing remains waiting to be laid to rest this week at a South Side funeral home is heartbreaking and an abomination. These are people – someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, child or friend, and they deserve better.”
Both Johanna and Clark Morgan are listed in Cook County court records as defendants in connection with lawsuits involving Heights Crematory in Chicago Heights, south of Chicago.
Public records show Johanna and Clark X. Morgan live at the same address in the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park, and an obituary for Johanna Morgan’s mother lists her husband as Clark. Phone messages were left Friday for numbers listed in public records for Johanna and Clark Morgan.
South Chicago Chapel’s website says the funeral home is “dedicated to providing compassionate care and personalized services to support families during life’s most challenging moments.”
“Our experienced and caring team is here to guide you every step of the way, ensuring your loved one’s life is honored with dignity, respect, and heartfelt attention to detail,” the site says. “We believe that every life is unique, and we work closely with you to create meaningful tributes that reflect their story and legacy.”
The case is similar to others involving the mishandling of human remains in parts of the U.S.
Last month, police arrested two men in Pueblo, Colorado, including a former county coroner, for allegedly mishandling at least two dozen decomposing bodies and other remains found behind a hidden door in a funeral home.
In 2024 in south Georgia, authorities found 18 bodies in various stages of decomposition at a funeral home in Douglas and arrested the owner.
Another Colorado case included the discovery of nearly 200 decomposing bodies kept at room temperature in a building in Penrose in 2023, which also led to arrests and prison sentences.
Also in 2023, an investigation in southern Indiana found 31 decomposing bodies at a funeral home in Jeffersonville, leading to the arrest and guilty plea of its owner.
