mbbirdy/Getty Images
Chris Johnson, a funeral home director, has been arrested after authorities reportedly found 18 decomposing bodies inside Johnson’s Funeral Home & Cremation Services.
According to WALB, Johnson has been charged with 17 counts of “abuse of a dead body.” The outlet adds that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has asserted that their investigation into the case remains “active and ongoing.”
Furthermore, the bureau is reportedly working to “centralize the flow of information from the community.” Lastly, WALB reports that additional charges against Johnson are pending.
Per the outlet, the investigation into Johnson reportedly began on Saturday, October 26. The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office arrived at Johnson’s Funeral and Cremation Services to “assist” with the execution of an eviction notice.
According to 13WMAZ, while authorities were at the location, they discovered corpses “in various stages of decomposition.” Per WALB, in addition to 18 human bodies, this included the bodies of “two pets, a dog and a cat.” Additionally, PEOPLE adds that Johnson was arrested on Sunday, October 27.
“The first reaction was, ‘I hope it wasn’t our daughter.’ But then you realize, if it’s not our daughter, it’s someone else’s,” Jeff and Tiffany Evans reportedly told WALB.
Furthermore, another Coffee County resident named Sherri Thomas explained her alleged experience with Johnson.
“We still have not yet received a death certificate that I paid for, in full, to Chris Johnson,” Thomas said. “I have called probably over 50-60 times, and he has not once returned my phone call. And I just wonder, with all these bodies, is that even my mama’s body in this urn.”
The Coffee County Coroner, Brandon Musgrove, has asserted that he’s now working to determine the identities of the bodies found.
“My priority is to get the bodies properly identified and make the notifications to the family. Please bear with us. We’re working as diligently as we can,” Musgrove stated per WALB.
Meanwhile, authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office or GBI Regional Investigative Office.
As The Shade Room previously reported, a funeral home in Camden, New Jersey, also recently made headlines. At the time, a family accused the funeral home of placing the wrong corpse inside their loved one’s casket. Furthermore, the incident allegedly occurred the day before their loved one’s funeral service.
Initially, the funeral home denied the wrongdoing. However, the family has since filed a lawsuit against the company.
