Overview
- Investigators from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, Chicago police, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Fire Department found more than 50 decedents in various states of decomposition at South Chicago Chapel.
- The medical examiner deployed forensic pathologists to inspect the remains and search for identification documents and death certificates, a process officials say could take several days.
- State regulators suspended the registered funeral director's license this week and records show prior disciplinary findings linking the facility's operators to improperly stored remains at a separate crematory.
- Police officers first went to the 2900 block of East 95th Street on a licensing tip while a funeral was in progress, and the Fire Department treated the scene as a hazardous material incident during the investigation.
- Neighbors had reported foul odors and flies for months and some families say scheduled bodies are missing, prompting officials to prioritize family notifications and a coordinated criminal and regulatory review.