Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 8

Illinois Suspends Funeral Owner's License After 56 Bodies Found Decomposing in Chicago Home

Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 8

Illinois Suspends Funeral Owner's License After 56 Bodies Found Decomposing in Chicago Home

Q: What was Clark Morgan trying to hide when he blocked fire crews from entering the hazardous, maggot-infested funeral home?

There is no confirmed evidence yet of exactly what Clark Morgan was trying to hide, but the available records strongly suggest he was trying to prevent officials from seeing the full extent of the conditions inside South Chicago Chapel. Police and regulatory records say officers and a state inspector found 57 bodies stored unrefrigerated in different parts of the funeral home. Authorities alleged the remains were in deplorable conditions, with rodent infestation, decomposition and maggots. After police told him they could conduct a business-license inspection during business hours, Clark Morgan allegedly locked the doors and left. Fire crews then forced entry, and the Chicago Fire Department treated the scene as a hazardous materials incident. Based on those facts, what he appears to have been blocking was the discovery and documentation of improperly stored human remains and the hazardous environment around them. Investigators were also searching for paperwork, including death certificates and identification records, to determine who the decedents were and notify families. Any motive beyond that remains unproven. The investigation is ongoing, and officials have not publicly stated that Morgan was hiding anything more specific than the conditions already described inside the building.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 8

Fifty-six remains were found at South Chicago Chapel in various states of decomposition, prompting Cook County officials to work on identifying the dead and assessing their condition.
Illinois suspended Johanna Morgan's funeral director and embalmer license after alleging the bodies were kept unrefrigerated in rodent-infested conditions that led to decomposition and maggot infestation.
State records show Clark Morgan's intern license was revoked in 2024, and he was fined $10,000 for working on an expired license and unprofessional conduct.
CBS Chicago reported Clark Morgan previously operated Heights Crematory, which Illinois shut down in 2025 after bodies were allegedly stored in inoperable coolers and stacked improperly.
The case has renewed scrutiny of how the Morgans were able to keep operating in death-care businesses after earlier enforcement actions against the crematory.