Authorities discovered more than 50 improperly stored and decomposing bodies at South Chicago Chapel on Thursday, prompting an investigation and the suspension of one of the funeral home's directors. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office was alerted by state and local officials to the conditions at the funeral home, where investigators found remains in various stages of decomposition.
Illinois state officials suspended the funeral director's license, citing a finding that her continued practice posed a danger to public safety. The suspension came with allegations that multiple decedents were kept in an unrefrigerated area in "deplorable conditions," including rodent and maggot infestation, leading to decomposition.
State business records indicate that Johanna Morgan incorporated South Chicago Chapel Inc. in 2022. Her funeral director's license was suspended on Wednesday. Clark X. Morgan is listed as the funeral home's president. In 2024, the state revoked a Clark X. Morgan's funeral director license and fined him $10,000 for practicing with an expired license and "unprofessional conduct."
According to State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Johanna and Clark Morgan previously operated Heights Crematory in Chicago Heights. That crematory had its license revoked last year after authorities found improperly stored bodies and hundreds of cremated remains that had not been returned to families. Many bodies at the crematory were stacked and unrefrigerated, Mendoza stated.
Neighbors of South Chicago Chapel reported a strong, unpleasant odor emanating from the property. City police confirmed detectives are investigating the scene. The medical examiner's office stated that assessing the conditions of the remains and searching for identification documents and death certificates could take several days.
This incident follows a series of cases involving mishandled human remains across the country in recent years. In August 2026, police in Pueblo, Colorado, arrested two men for allegedly mishandling at least two dozen decomposing bodies. In 2024, 18 bodies were discovered in various stages of decomposition at a funeral home in Georgia. Additionally, nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found in Colorado in 2023, and 31 decomposing bodies were discovered at an Indiana funeral home in the same year. The South Chicago Chapel website states the funeral home is "dedicated to providing compassionate care and personalized services to support families during life’s most challenging moments."