Over the weekend you have probably heard from the main street media that Detroit police were tipped off that they may be able to find more infant corpses at another funeral home in Detroit.  According to this article in the Washington Post, Detroit Police Chief James Craig has now announced a “wide probe” into Michigan funeral homes.

Turns out that after a tip, authorities raided the Perry Funeral Home and allegedly seized the remains of 63 fetus or infant bodies. . . many packed together in unrefrigerated boxes.  Just last week infant remains were found hidden in the ceiling in the former Cantrell Funeral Home building in Detroit and received national media attention.

A statement was issued by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory affairs.  Again, according to the article, the Perry Funeral Home had its license to operate revoked immediately after the raid and is now shuttered like Cantrell Funeral Home.  The article also notes that a criminal investigation is underway but no one has been reported arrested in either the Cantrell or Perry case as of yet.

Finally, the article states that “a task force has been established to look for a connection between the two funeral homes, any possible reason for hoarding infant corpses, and the possibility that businesses in the region could have done the same.”

Funeral Director Daily take:  Again, we take the constitutional right of “innocence until proven guilty”.  However, we mentioned last week that this case could have more reputational damage, regardless of guilt or innocence, to the death care industry than did the Tri-State crematory case in Georgia several years ago.  Just the idea that our industry, for all the wrong reasons, is ending up on the front pages of the New York Times and Washington Post, is not good and harms all the hard working funeral firms across the country.

In today’s world news travels fast and more and more people have access to it.  That makes it more important than ever, from a public relations point of view,  to follow proper procedures when dealing with the remains of loved ones.

We will try to keep you updated on this investigation.

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