More than 50 bodies found improperly stored and decomposing at Chicago funeral home

CHICAGO (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 discovery came months after neighborhood residents began noticing a “stench” emanating from the funeral home, which led some to complain to the city.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 Thursday. 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, adding that family notifications will be made following the identifications.Police said Friday that their preliminary statement on the case incorrectly said that fire department officials declared the scene a hazardous materials incident.No arrests have been announced, but city police said detectives are investigating.Messages for the funeral home were left by phone and through its website Friday.Funeral home client, community advocate express dismay, frustrationLater Friday, a small number of residents and people seeking information about their deceased loved ones gathered in front of the brick-walled funeral home, which is on a South Chicago street lined with trees, homes and businesses.Latasha Johnson, 55, said her mother's funeral was held at South Chicago Chapel on Thursday before authorities arrived and she later heard of their gruesome discovery.

She said authorities told her that her mother's body would have to undergo an autopsy and she would have to identify the remains in a day or two.“I’m discombobulated,” she said. “My heart is broken.”Blaise Von Bruchhaeuser, who described herself as a community advocate for the neighborhood, said it was upsetting that complaints about a terrible odor had been made for months before t… A Chicago funeral home has made headlines after more than 50 bodies were found decomposing, in part, because they were improperly stored by a couple who previously operated a crematory that was similarly shut down because of mishandled remains, authorities said.