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CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday confirmed that they have identified 11 of the 56 bodies that were found decomposing inside a Far South Side funeral home last week.
They said that ten of the families have been notified and two of the decedents were released to funeral homes.
The bodies were recovered last Friday from the South Chicago Chapel at the corner of 95th Street and Exchange Avenue. According to the medical examiner’s office, the bodies were improperly stored at the funeral home and were in various states of decomposition at the time.
Neighbors who live near the funeral home said they’ve been smelling a foul odor prior to the discovery. One neighbor said she smelled the odor for a whole year.
Families were left shocked and distraught, leading to questions of whether their loved ones were among the bodies recovered. Some families are also questioning if the ashes they received were those of their loved ones.
According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation records, the state suspended the license of funeral director Johanna Morgan due to a finding that the facility’s “continued practice is a danger to the public safety, interest and welfare.”
Her husband, Clark Morgan, previously owned and operated Heights Crematory in Chicago Heights, which was shut down last year, accused of mishandling the bodies of people who had recently died. The crematory agreed to shut down its operations amid a probe by the Illinois State Comptroller’s office, which regulates the cremation industry.
The medical examiner’s office says the identification process could take days. They said they’re continuing the examination of these remains alongside their regular caseload and are working closely with local and state authorities to identify the decedents.
CBS News Chicago has reached out to both the funeral home and its president, but has not received a response.
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