Indiana police are investigating after 31 decomposing bodies and the cremated remains of 16 others were found in a funeral home.
Some of the bodies found were “in the advanced stages of decomposition,” and police arrived at the Lankford Funeral Home on Friday after receiving information about odor permeating from the business.
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“We understand that this is going to be a situation where we’re really going to need the assistance of these families,” Jeffersonville Police Maj. Isaac Parker said, per the Louisville Courier-Journal. “I’m sorry that they’ve already suffered a loss and now they’re dealing with this situation. We ask anybody that has information to please reach out to us.”
Authorities took custody of the bodies and are actively working to identify them and their families. Some of the bodies were believed to have been kept at the funeral home since March, according to Parker. The bodies were found in various locations throughout the facility.
Local reporters filmed what appeared to be a truck equipped with cooling capabilities arriving on the scene Friday evening, presumably to transport the bodies out of the facility.
What seems to be a cooling truck has just arrived to the scene around 9:40 PM. Officials are opening the doors now and clearing some of the trucks inside. @WHAS11 pic.twitter.com/YtHHWafhm5
— Ford Sanders WHAS 11 (@fordsandersTV) July 2, 2022
Police finished processing the scene early Saturday and have not revealed how many employees worked at the funeral home, the outlet reported. So far, no charges in the case have been announced, but police are continuing to investigate the situation. Law enforcement officers in Jeffersonville, Indiana, had received a tip about the funeral home from another agency, per Parker.
Bodies began piling up in the facility after the owner fell behind on processing them, but police do not yet have evidence of malicious intent, a source told WDRB News.
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An investigation into the situation is underway.
“We’re working with the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure that the investigation is efficient and successful,” Parker noted, according to WDRB.
