Downstate funeral director admits to giving wrong remains to hundreds of families: Report

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) - An Illinois coroner says nearly 1,000 families who put their trust in a funeral home may have been given the wrong remains.

Accusations began to swirl last year, prompting August Heinz, director of the Heinz Funeral Home in downstate Carlinville, to surrender his license.

Now Sangamon County coroner Jim Allmon has confirmed as many as 800 families who used the funeral home may have incorrect remains of their loved ones.

Attorneys detail in a lawsuit that one woman spent years talking to and praying to remains she thought were mother but were not.

Capitol News Illinois reported the accusations against Heinz don’t stop there. He’s alleged to improperly storing and labeling bodies.

While no charges have been filed, authorities have said they are not ruling out the possibility.

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