More than 50 decomposing bodies found at Chicago funeral home; license suspended

The discovery of more than 50 decomposing bodies at a Chicago funeral home has prompted a multiagency investigation and the suspension of a funeral director's license, officials said.

Cook County officials said Thursday that the remains, in "various states of decomposition," were found at an address associated with the South Chicago Chapel funeral home. The county medical examiner's office said it is now working to assess the conditions of the remains and search for documentation identifying the dead or establishing death certificates. That process, the office said, "could take several days to ensure proper disposition."

The medical examiner said it would work with authorities to identify the decedents as quickly as possible and notify their families.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it suspended the funeral director and embalmer license of a person connected to the business. In a filing, the department said multiple dead bodies had been kept in an unrefrigerated area "with deplorable conditions including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies." The department said the licensee's continued practice posed a danger to public safety, interest and welfare.

Chicago police said they went to the location to help the department with a license investigation. The Chicago Fire Department later declared the scene a hazardous materials incident, according to police.

The funeral home's next-door neighbor, who only identified herself as "V," told CNN affiliate WBBM that the smell was like "a dead mouse." She said the odor was constant and severe.

Officials have not said when the bodies may be moved or how identification efforts will proceed. The case adds to concerns about oversight of funeral homes, where regulators can face limited authority to inspect facilities until complaints emerge. It also leaves families who may have loved ones entrusted to the chapel waiting for answers.

CNN has reached out to South Chicago Chapel, Chicago police, the Cook County medical examiner's office and the county prosecutor's office for further comment.