More than 50 bodies were found stored improperly and in decomposition on Thursday at a Chicago funeral home operated by a couple who previously ran a crematorium that was shut down for mishandling remains. The Illinois state officials suspended the license of one of the funeral home’s directors, alleging that the bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in “deplorable conditions”.
State and local authorities notified the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office that bodies were being stored improperly at South Chicago Chapel, and investigators and forensic pathologists were sent to the scene. The remains were found in various states of decomposition, authorities said.
Staff is evaluating the condition of the remains and seeking documentation on 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.
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Funeral director Johanna Morgan incorporated South Chicago Chapel Inc. in 2022, and her funeral director license was temporarily suspended on Wednesday. The state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said the license suspension was due to the determination that Johanna Morgan’s continued practice poses a danger to public safety, interest, and welfare, due to allowing multiple deceased individuals to be maintained in an unrefrigerated area in deplorable conditions, including a rodent infestation, resulting in decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies.
State records also list Clark X. Morgan as the president of the funeral home. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it revoked the funeral director license of Clark X. Morgan and fined him $10,000 in 2024 for practicing with an expired license and for unprofessional conduct, which it did not specify.
State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said on Friday that Johanna and Clark Morgan operated a crematorium 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 crematorium were stacked on top of each other and were not refrigerated.
Susana Mendoza said the discovery of decomposing remains waiting to be buried this week at a South Side funeral home is heartbreaking and an abomination. The deceased are people — someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, son, or friend — and they deserve better.
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The police reported on Friday that, in their initial statement on the case, it was incorrectly indicated that fire department officials had declared the scene a hazardous materials incident. No arrests have been announced, but the city police said several detectives are investigating the case.
Neighbors told local media that the area around the funeral home had a horrible odor. Messages were left for the funeral home by phone and through their website on Friday.
The police investigation is ongoing, and the funeral home’s license has been suspended. They are working to identify the deceased and notify their families. The state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is also investigating the funeral home’s operations.
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