Illinois officials permanently shut down a Chicago-based crematory on Thursday after whistleblowers flagged the disturbing way the bodies were handled, including human remains that were stuffed in broken coolers.
The Heights Crematory saw its licenses revoked following a months-long investigation alleging gross malpractice at the suburban funeral home, where at least 19 bodies were found inside a broken refrigerated trailer in February, according to State Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
“The practical effect of this order is that Heights and its owners will never operate a crematorium in the state of Illinois again,” Mendoza said in a statement.
Issues at the crematory became public after whistleblowers spoke to a local CBS News crew earlier this year, accusing the business of improperly handling the bodies they were supposed to be taking care of.
Along with the bodies stored in broken refrigerated units, investigators found another group of six to seven corpses that were thrown on top of each other on the main floor of the crematory as they waited to be burned.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office also said it received more than 500 boxes of ashes from Heights Crematory that had never made it to the families of the deceased.
During the initial investigation, Mendoza said she was “appalled, disgusted, and deeply saddened by the disrespect Heights Crematory showed to the remains of the deceased.”
“When I saw these pictures, I felt that our dog got a more dignified treatment in death than these people did?” Mendoza told reporters back in March.
“These are people. They’re people’s loved ones, family members. And to see anyone treated in that disrespectful, undignified manner in death was disgusting to me,” she added.
The Heights Crematory was temporarily shut down, with its owners expected to attend a hearing on June 24 to learn the fate of their business.
The hearing, however, has now been canceled following the comptroller’s order to keep the crematory shuttered.
The State of Illinois has never shut down a crematory in such a manner before, but Mendoza told CBS it needed to happen due to what the investigation turned up.
Representatives for the Heights Crematory could not be immediately reached for comment.
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