In a shocking turn of events, a funeral home owner in Douglas, Georgia, has been arrested and charged with neglecting human corpses. The arrest came after authorities discovered 18 bodies in various stages of decomposition while serving an eviction notice at the business.
The accused, a 39-year-old man, has been charged with 17 counts of abuse of a dead body, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was initiated over the weekend when sheriff's deputies requested assistance during an eviction process.
Arrest warrants reveal that the owner disregarded proper storage procedures, leading to the serious disfigurement of the deceased individuals at Johnson Funeral & Cremation Services in Douglas. The GBI is working closely with family members to gather more information about the victims in what has been described as a complex investigation.
During a court appearance, it was decided that the accused would be held in jail until trial, given the severity of the charges and the anticipation of additional charges being filed. The accused has expressed his intention to hire a private attorney rather than opting for a public defender.
Earlier this year, the accused ran for Coffee County coroner but was defeated in a primary election. Douglas, where the incident took place, is a city located about 200 miles southeast of Atlanta.
In a separate incident, the owners of a Colorado funeral home recently pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after being accused of cheating customers and misusing pandemic relief funds. The couple also faces numerous criminal charges in Colorado state court, including allegations of corpse abuse.
