More than 50 decomposing bodies found at Far South Side funeral home
An investigation was underway at a Far South Side funeral home after more than 50 decomposing bodies were found in the facility.
On Thursday evening, Chicago police were seen moving in and out of South Chicago Chapel, a funeral home located at the intersection of 95th Street and Exchange Avenue on the Far South Side. The facility was the subject of an investigation after over fifty decomposing bodies were discovered inside, their conditions described as deplorable. State regulators had previously suspended the funeral director's license, Johanna Morgan, due to the unsafe and unsanitary environment in which the bodies were being stored.
Chicago police spokespersons referred inquiries to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, which confirmed receipt of notification from both city and state officials regarding the improper storage of bodies at the funeral home. The medical examiner's office stated that their investigators and forensic pathologists had found more than fifty decedents at the facility, each in different stages of decomposition.
They are currently assessing the conditions of the bodies and searching for documentation to identify them, a process that could take several days.
Morgan, the funeral director at South Chicago Chapel until May of 2025, had allowed the bodies to be kept in an unrefrigerated area plagued by rodent and maggot infestations. This led to further decomposition and contamination of the corpses. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation confirmed the suspension of Johanna Morgan's license, citing the danger posed to public safety, interest, and welfare by the continuing practice of storing bodies in such unsanitary conditions.
Local resident V, who has lived directly behind South Chicago Chapel for about a year, has frequently experienced a foul odor emanating from the facility. She described the smell as akin to a dead mouse, emphasizing that it is an exceedingly unpleasant and persistent issue. On Thursday, staff from Emmanuel Funeral Home & Cremation Services arrived at South Chicago Chapel to retrieve a body, unaware of the ongoing investigation.
Despite having spoken with the facility earlier in the day, they were unaware that the situation had escalated to a full-blown police operation.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
