Police authorities in Chicago were confronted with a macabre discovery when they found 56 decomposing bodies at a funeral home.
Residents had begun noticing a “foul odor” coming from the “South Chicago Chapel” funeral home months earlier, prompting them to report the matter to city officials.
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The bodies were being stored at the funeral home under unsuitable conditions, prompting investigators and medical examiners to rush to the scene on Thursday (August 6).
The bodies were in various stages of decomposition, local officials said.
“Staff are assessing the condition of the remains, searching for documents related to the identification of the deceased, as well as death certificates. This process could take several days to ensure proper disposition,” the medical examiner’s office said in a statement.
Families will be notified once the remains have been identified, according to Sky News. The Chicago Police Department stated that the relevant authorities are conducting an investigation, but no arrests have been announced yet.
No refrigeration, rodents, or maggots
Illinois state officials suspended the license of funeral home director Johanna Morgan on Wednesday (August 5), alleging that the bodies were being stored in an uncooled area under “appalling conditions, including rodent infestation, which caused decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies.”
Morgan opened the funeral home in 2022, and her husband, Clark Morgan, is listed as the funeral home’s president.
Her license had been revoked
Morgan’s funeral director’s license was revoked in 2024 for practicing without a valid license and for unspecified “unprofessional conduct,” according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The couple’s crematorium was shut down due to mishandling of remains
The couple previously operated a crematorium in Chicago Heights, south of Chicago, which was shut down in 2025 due to the mishandling of remains, authorities said.
Officials discovered improperly stored remains and hundreds of cremated remains that had never been returned to their families. Both were facing lawsuits.
Source: CNN Greece
