CHICAGO (WBBM Newsradio) – More than 50 bodies in various stages of decomposition were found Thursday inside a funeral home on Chicago’s Far South Side, prompting a hazardous materials response and an investigation by multiple agencies.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said investigators and forensic pathologists were called to South Chicago Chapel, 2939 E. 95th St., after city and state officials reported bodies were being improperly stored there.
The medical examiner’s office said staff are assessing the condition of the remains and searching for death certificates and other records to identify the deceased. The process could take several days.
Chicago police said officers responded to the funeral home around 2 p.m. Thursday to assist the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation with a licensing investigation. Human remains were discovered after officers arrived, and the Chicago Fire Department declared the scene a hazmat incident.
State records show the funeral director’s license was suspended after regulators found multiple bodies being kept in an unrefrigerated area under what they described as deplorable conditions, including rodent and maggot infestations.
The medical examiner’s office said it will work with authorities to identify the deceased and notify their families as quickly as possible.
