Horror as 56 decomposing bodies are found at funeral home in ‘deplorable conditions’ after locals noticed foul smell

GRIEVING families are being put through more heartache as 56 decomposing bodies are found at a funeral parlor. The horrifying discovery was made at the South Chicago Chapel in South Deering, Chicago, on Thursday after locals reported a “stench” coming from the funeral home for months. Over 50 bodies were removed from the South Chicago Chapel after being found decomposing in ‘deplorable conditions’ Credit: AP The funeral home was shutdown on Thursday after locals reported a ‘stench’ emanating from from the building Credit: AP Illinois state officials say the remains were being kept in “deplorable conditions” in an un-refrigerated area and that all of the bodies were in various states of decomposition when they were recovered. The funeral home was operated by a couple who used to run a crematorium that was also shut down by authorities due to mishandled remains, officials revealed. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Since the horrifying discovery was made, coroners have been tasked with identifying all of the remains with officials working through the night to recover the bodies from the property. “Staff is assessing the conditions of the remains, searching for documentation regarding identification of the decedents as well as death certificates,” The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said. “This process could take several days to ensure proper disposition.” Families will be notified when identifications have been made. Grieving families have flocked to the site in a bid to find out if their deceased relatives are among the remains. Latasha Johnson, 55, attended her mother’s funeral at the chapel on Thursday before officials arrived, and was left “heartbroken” and “discombobulated” when she was told an autopsy would have to be carried out and she would have to identify the remains in a couple of days. Most read in The Sun Neighbors of the funeral parlor claim to CBS News they could “smell it the whole year” since they moved in next door. “It just, like, stinks all the time. Like, it’s so bad,” another said. “Something needs to happen to the owner and those who were working for him,” local resident Frida Najera, 29, told the Chicago Tribune after watching numerous body bags being removed from the property on Friday. “They know what was happening.” Latasha Johnson, 55, attended her mother’s funeral at the chapel on Thursday before officials arrived and has been left ‘heart broken’ after being told an autopsy would be carried out Credit: AP An investigation is ongoing with no arrests yet being announced Credit: AP An investigation by city police is ongoing with no arrests yet being announced. Funeral director Johanna Morgan had her license temporarily suspended after “allowing multiple decedents to be kept in an unrefrigerated area with deplorable conditions including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies,” per records seen by CBS News. Her husband Clark Morgan was listed as president of the funeral home and together they ran the crematory in Chicago Heights that was shuttered last year and is still subject to ongoing lawsuits. Over 100 bodies were found improperly stored at that location and a lawyer leading legal action against the crematory has alleged that some families buried bodies that did not belong to their loved one. Morgan had his license revoked in 2024 for working with an expired license and exhibiting “unprofessional conduct”. “It is extremely disturbing that the same individuals who appear to be involved with the events at South Side Chapel are the same persons,” Michael Sharkey, general counsel at the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, added in a statement. Meanwhile, State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she was once again “horrified”. “The discovery of decomposing remains waiting to be laid to rest this week at a South Side funeral home is heartbreaking and an abomination,” she said. “These are people – someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, child or friend, and they deserve better.” Comment now