On Thursday, authorities discovered the remains of 56 people improperly stored and decomposing at a Chicago funeral home operated by a couple who had previously run a crematory that was shut down for mishandling remains, according to officials.
The funeral home, located in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, was operated by the same couple who owned the now-defunct Cremation Society of Illinois, which was closed in 2020 after an investigation found they had stored dozens of bodies in a warehouse without proper refrigeration.
Illinois state regulators had revoked the couple's licenses, but they continued operating under a different business name. The discovery was made during a compliance check prompted by complaints about odor and suspicious activity.
Authorities are working to identify the remains and notify next of kin. The couple faces potential criminal charges, and the investigation is ongoing.
