Remains of 56 people found decomposing at Chicago funeral home

The remains of 56 people have been found improperly stored and decomposing at a Chicago funeral home.

Residents started noticing a "stench" coming from the South Chicago Chapel funeral home months ago, leading some to complain to the city.

State and local officials notified the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office that bodies were being stored improperly at the funeral home, with investigators and forensic pathologists dispatched on 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.

It added that families would be notified following the identification of the remains.

Chicago Police said detectives are investigating, but no arrests have been announced yet.

Illinois state officials suspended the licence of funeral director Johanna Morgan on Wednesday, alleging that bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in "deplorable conditions including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies".

Ms Morgan incorporated South Chicago Chapel Inc in 2022 and her husband, Clark Morgan, is listed as the funeral home's president, according to state business records.

Mr Morgan's funeral licence was revoked in 2024 for practising with an expired licence and unspecified "unprofessional conduct", the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said.

Couple's crematory shut down for mishandling remains

The couple previously operated a crematory in Chicago Heights, south of Chicago, that was shut down in 2025 because of mishandled remains, authorities said.

Officials discovered improperly stored bodies and hundreds of cremated remains that had never been returned to their families.

Mr and Ms Morgan are listed in Cook County court records as defendants in connection with lawsuits involving the crematory they ran.

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"Horrified. Again," state comptroller Susana Mendoza said in a statement. "The discovery of decomposing remains waiting to be laid to rest this week at a South Side funeral home is heartbreaking and an abomination.

"These are people - someone's mother, father, sister, brother, child or friend, and they deserve better."

(c) Sky News 2026: Remains of 56 people found decomposing at Chicago funeral home