CHICAGO () — Authorities say more than 50 containers of cremated remains have now been recovered from a Chicago funeral home where 56 decomposing bodies were found earlier this week, officials confirmed to ABC7 on Saturday.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
Officials said the bodies, which had not been properly stored, were removed Friday morning from the Southeast Side funeral home after the disturbing discovery was made Thursday evening.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is now working to confirm the identities of all remains recovered from South Chicago Chapel on 95th Street, a process officials said could take several days.
Investigators said nearly 60 decomposing bodies were found Thursday in conditions that did not meet proper storage requirements, with temperatures at or above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Neighbors told ABC7 they had been noticing a strong, foul smell in the area for months.
Crews and investigators are combing through records, including death certificates, as they work to identify the deceased and contact families as quickly as possible.
On Saturday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office told ABC7 it is helping Chicago police by holding more than 50 containers of cremated remains while officials work to determine who they belong to. Those cremated remains are separate from the 56 decomposing bodies discovered Thursday.
Families who entrusted South Chicago Chapel in South Deering with their loved ones are now seeking answers after authorities said 56 bodies were found allegedly stored improperly inside the funeral home.
The families showed up to the funeral home Friday looking for answers. ABC7 has heard stories of frustration and heartbreak from those families. Many say they were left waiting for weeks or months, only to receive remains that they’re no longer sure are those of their loved ones.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which licenses funeral directors, said it has suspended the license of funeral director Johanna Morgan. The agency also revoked the license of her husband, Clark Morgan, in 2024.
Last year, the state comptroller shut down a Chicago Heights crematory owned by Clark Morgan after more than 100 bodies were improperly stored there.
The state said Johanna Morgan’s license was just suspended on Wednesday, and that’s not the first time. Records show she has faced a history of disciplinary action.
The latest came over conditions inside South Chicago Chapel. Records said Johanna allowed, “multiple decedents to be kept in an unrefrigerated area with deplorable conditions including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies.”
After learning about all this, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it’s working with investigators to ensure all appropriate regulatory and public safety steps are taken.
“They should have criminal charges pressed against them for how they mishandle these bodies,” Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. “These people should be in jail. That’s where they should be.”
Illinois State Police said Friday their crime scene services investigators have been helping the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identify the 56 bodies found in the building.
ABC7 has reached out to the funeral home and is still waiting for a response.
Also on Saturday, the Illinois state comptroller’s office said that it is investigating Bohemian National Cemetery and Crematorium in the 5200 block of North Pulaski Road in Chicago.
Bohemian was ordered not to accept any more remains, and they complied, officials said.
ABC7 is working to confirm whether or not the investigation at Bohemian National Cemetery and Crematorium is connected to the ongoing investigation at South Chicago Chapel.
