Dozens of Decomposing Bodies Found Inside Chicago Funeral Home

A horrifying discovery at a Chicago funeral home has sparked a major investigation after authorities found more than 50 bodies improperly stored inside the building — some reportedly decomposing amid rodents and maggots.

The disturbing scene unfolded Thursday at South Chicago Chapel on the city’s South Side, months after neighbors reportedly began complaining about a foul “stench” coming from the property.

Officials with the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said investigators and forensic pathologists were called to the funeral home after state and local authorities raised concerns about improperly stored remains.

What they found was deeply disturbing.

More than 50 bodies were reportedly discovered in various stages of decomposition, forcing officials to begin the painstaking process of identifying the deceased and determining how each set of remains should be handled.

“Staff is assessing the conditions of the remains, searching for documentation regarding identification of the decedents as well as death certificates,” the medical examiner’s office said.

Officials warned that the process could take several days.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has temporarily suspended the funeral director’s license of Johanna Morgan, alleging that bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area under what the agency called “deplorable conditions.”

According to state officials, those conditions allegedly included both rodent and maggot infestations.

The agency said the lack of refrigeration allowed the bodies to decompose.

Morgan’s continued work as a funeral director posed “a danger to the public safety, interest and welfare,” regulators said in announcing the suspension.

No arrests had been made and no criminal charges had been filed following the discovery, but Chicago police said detectives were investigating the case.

State business records show Morgan incorporated South Chicago Chapel Inc. in 2022.

Her husband, Clark Morgan, is listed as president of the funeral home.

His funeral director’s license was revoked in 2024 after regulators accused him of practicing with an expired license and engaging in “unprofessional conduct.”

Even more troubling, the couple previously operated a crematory that authorities said was also shut down over the mishandling of human remains.

For families who trusted the funeral home with their loved ones, the discovery has been devastating.

Latasha Johnson, 55, said her mother’s funeral had taken place at South Chicago Chapel on Thursday — shortly before authorities descended on the building.

Johnson said officials later informed her that her mother’s body would have to undergo an autopsy and that she would need to identify the remains in the coming days.

“I’m discombobulated,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “My heart is broken.”

The case is now raising serious questions about how a funeral home accused of such shocking conditions was able to continue operating until authorities stepped in.

Investigators are working to identify the remains, review death certificates and other records, and determine exactly what happened inside the South Side facility.

South Chicago Chapel had not publicly responded to the allegations as the investigation continued.