Illinois, Indiana families announce new lawsuits against Crown Cremation, Chicago Heights Crematory for mishandling remains
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — Attorneys announced more civil lawsuits Thursday against crematoriums in Chicago Heights and Crown Point, Indiana.

The facilities are accused of negligence and gross mishandling of human remains.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The initial lawsuit was filed in April. Subsequently, others came forward, raising concerns that their loved ones’ remains might have been mishandled as well.

The new lawsuits from Illinois and Indiana families were announced during a press conference Thursday morning in Chicago

A widow from Munster, Indiana sued the two cremation businesses last month.

She says they mishandled her late husband’s remains.

Darla Smith’s husband, Darryl, died last August.

The lawsuit alleges that Crown Cremation in Indiana transferred her husband’s remains to Heights Crematory in Illinois, where they were not properly refrigerated and remained uncremated for almost three weeks.

“I can’t say for certain if the remains I received are truly my husband’s,” Darla Smith stated. “That was also the first question my children asked when I told them. Is it their father?”

Heights Crematory was recently shut down by the state, after 100 bodies were found.

They were improperly stored.

Neither crematorium has commented on the lawsuit.

“In the weeks since Darla Smith’s lawsuit was filed, we’ve experienced a tidal wave of calls and emails from distressed families,” attorney Gabriel Hawkins said. “It appears that reports in the media thus far are not isolated incidents for periods of a few weeks, but again appear part of a much broader and disturbing pattern.”

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Viral photos of deer with strange warts follow 'Frankenstein' rabbit, squirrel sightings

Unusual photos of deer with bizarre warts emerge following ‘Frankenstein’ rabbit and squirrel sightings.

As photos of so-called “Frankenstein” rabbits and squirrels with strange growths on…
Smoke rises over damaged buildings and a cemetery in Gaza City after airstrikes.

Israel Warns Hamas of Dire Consequences as Troops Begin Gaza City Takeover Amid Famine Declaration

ISRAEL has warned “the gates of hell will open” in Gaza if…
Lyle Menendez denied parole by California board in Beverly Hills murder case

California Board Denies Parole for Lyle Menendez in Beverly Hills Murder Case

In addition to being caught using a cell phone illegally, Erik was…
Lyle Menendez denied parole, will have to remain in prison for parents' murders

Lyle Menendez’s Parole Request Rejected: He Must Stay in Prison for Murder of Parents

A California parole board has rejected Lyle Menendez’s request for parole after…
Beef rules at Chicago's Monster Ramen: 'Nobody does it like us'

Beef Reigns Supreme at Chicago’s Monster Ramen: ‘Our Unique Touch Is Unmatched’

At Monster Ramen in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, the sound of slurping…
Ruslan Shingirey holding an axe.

Convicted Child Killer Admits Fear of Being Murdered in Prison After Heinous Crime

This distressing scene involves a Russian soldier lamenting, “I’ll be killed in…
Aftermath of a vehicle explosion in Cali, Colombia; emergency responders and investigators at the scene.

Drone Attack on Police Helicopter and Car Bomb Explosion in Colombia Lead to 18 Fatalities

AT LEAST 18 people have died after a drone attack on a…
Naperville 203 Board of Education, Naperville Unit Education Association reach tentative agreement on new contract

Naperville School District 203 and Teacher’s Union Propose New Contract Agreement

The Naperville 203 Board of Education together with the Naperville Unit Education…
US warship burns for 12 hours off Japan coast; 2 sailors suffer minor injuries

A Fire Rages on US Warship Near Japan for 12 Hours; Two Sailors Sustain Minor Injuries

The USS New Orleans warship caught fire Wednesday off the coast of…
Ex-LA fire chief lodges claim against city, accusing mayor Karen Bass of 'smear campaign'

Former LA Fire Chief Files Complaint Against City, Alleging Mayor Karen Bass Ran a ‘Smear Campaign’

Kristin Crowley, the former Los Angeles Fire Chief, has filed a claim…
Black and white photo of Donald Trump pointing at Vladimir Putin.

“Alleged Time Traveler Seen in Photo of Trump Pointing at Putin”

SOCIAL media sleuths say they have spotted a time traveller after Donald…
Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell moved to new prison amid fight over answers, immunity

Ghislaine Maxwell Claims There’s No Client List for Jeffrey Epstein as Department of Justice Publishes Interview Recordings

The Justice Department released hours of interviews between a top federal prosecutor…