Michigan Funeral Home Gets Shut Down After Maggots And Unrefrigerated Bodies Found During Inspection
A funeral home in Flint, Michigan has been shut down after authorities say maggots and unrefrigerated bodies were found in the garage. Fox 17 Online reports that after police officials received several complaints about Swanson Funeral Home, they began an investigation. Members of the public reported a foul order, believed to be decomposing bodies, emitting from the funeral home.
During an inspection in May of this year, authorities discovered maggots and several bodies inside cardboard cremation containers in a garage that was not air-conditioned. Investigators say the bodies may have been left in the unrefrigerated area for up to five months.
The unsettling discovery prompted the state to shut down the Flint funeral home, as well as suspend the mortuary science licenses of the Swanson Funeral Home and its manager, according to a news release on Wednesday.
It was reported that the Swanson Funeral Home is a trusted facility. After maggots were allegedly found in the funeral home, it has sparked outrage in the community.
One family is now searching for answers after their loved ones’ remains were sent to the Swanson Funeral Home to be cremated in mid-June. Tysha Whitchard wants to know if her 62-year-old father, identified only by Marcus, was treated with respect.
Michigan funeral home shut down after maggots, unrefrigerated bodies found https://t.co/7M1FsjfJhs pic.twitter.com/OB8PeyIsNh
— WXYZ Detroit (@wxyzdetroit) July 12, 2017
Relatives are now seeking Marcus’ remains, but after several attempts to inquire about his whereabouts, they have been left in the dark for several weeks.
Before the funeral home was shut down, they received several complaints. In September 2016, police say the preparation room was found to be unsanitary during an inspection. Ten bodies, one of them embalmed, were also found in an unrefrigerated garage. The bodies were purportedly left in the area for 72 hours.
During another inspection in October 2015, authorities say that two bodies were found in the garage inside a cremation container stacked atop one another against a wall. It was later uncovered that the bodies were people who passed away in 2014.
Family wonders where dad's body is after Flint funeral home is shut down https://t.co/D6xbls77dr pic.twitter.com/cYw1hUs2gX
— WXYZ Detroit (@wxyzdetroit) July 13, 2017
In 2012, the Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration alleged that employees at the funeral home were conducting work without utilizing protective gear, and they were exposing themselves to the deceased’s bodily fluids.
The Swanson Funeral Home could face a fine up to $10,000 for each violation.
Police say that if members of the public have used the Swanson Funeral Home services and would like more information, contact LARA’s Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau at 517-241-7000.
[Featured Image by Kzenon/iStock]
