More than 50 bodies found decomposing at South Chicago funeral home, officials say
More than 50 bodies were found improperly stored and in various states of decomposition Thursday at South Chicago Chapel on Chicago’s South Side, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said.
The medical examiner said state and local officials alerted the office to the situation and that investigators and forensic pathologists who responded “found remains in various states of decomposition.” The agency added that “staff is assessing the conditions of the remains, searching for documentation regarding identification of the decedents as well as death certificates” and that “this process could take several days to ensure proper disposition.”
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation temporarily suspended the license of funeral director Johanna Morgan on Wednesday, saying her continued practice posed “a danger to the public safety, interest and welfare.” The agency alleged Morgan “allowed multiple decedents to be kept in an unrefrigerated area with deplorable conditions, including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies.”
State business records show Johanna Morgan incorporated South Chicago Chapel Inc. in 2022. The department said the funeral home is operated by a couple who previously ran a crematory that authorities said was shut down over mishandling of remains. State officials identified Clark Morgan, whom they described as Johanna Morgan’s husband, as president of the funeral home and said his funeral director’s license was revoked in 2024 for practicing with an expired license and “unprofessional conduct.”
No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed, Chicago police said. Fox News Digital said it reached out to South Chicago Chapel for comment. Latasha Johnson, 55, told The Associated Press that her mother’s funeral was held at the chapel Thursday shortly before authorities arrived and that officials informed her her mother’s body would need an autopsy and that she would have to identify the remains in the coming days. “I’m discombobulated,” Johnson said. “My heart is broken.”
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