Authorities discovered dozens of bodies in various stages of decomposition inside a funeral home on Chicago’s Southeast Side. The operators had previously been linked to a Chicago Heights crematory that was permanently shut down after investigators uncovered serious violations involving the handling of human remains.
Chicago authorities are investigating after dozens of decomposing bodies were discovered inside South Chicago Chapel, a funeral home at 2939 E. 95th Street in the South Deering neighborhood.
Police arrived at the funeral home on Thursday, August 6, as part of an investigation involving the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). According to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, officers had received information that bodies at the facility were not being stored at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, as required by state regulations. 
What they found inside was far more serious.
Officers discovered 57 bodies in different areas of the building. The remains were not refrigerated and were in various stages of decomposition. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has officially confirmed that more than 50 deceased people were found at the facility.
State regulatory records describe conditions inside the funeral home as “deplorable.” According to IDFPR, multiple bodies had been kept in an unrefrigerated area where there was a rodent infestation, resulting in decomposition and maggot infestation.
Police Discover the Bodies During License Investigation
According to the police report, officers arrived at the funeral home while funeral-related activity was taking place. They were met by Clark Morgan, identified in the report as a funeral director, who accompanied officers during an inspection of the building.
During the walkthrough, police counted 57 bodies.
After officers left the building, they attempted to enter again. According to the report, Morgan told them that, on the advice of his attorney, he would not allow them back inside without a warrant. Police told Morgan that they did not need a warrant to inspect the business during operating hours. Morgan then padlocked the door and left, according to the report.
Officers subsequently called the Chicago Fire Department for assistance in gaining access to the building.
The discovery came only one day after state regulators suspended Johanna Morgan’s funeral director license. IDFPR said her continued practice represented “a danger to the public safety, interest and welfare” because she had allowed multiple deceased people to remain unrefrigerated under conditions involving rodents, decomposition and maggots.
The Operators Had Already Been Linked to Another Scandal
The names behind South Chicago Chapel were already familiar to Illinois regulators.
State business records identify Clark X. Morgan as president of South Chicago Chapel Inc., while Johanna Morgan incorporated the company in 2022. Johanna Morgan was a licensed funeral director and embalmer until her license was temporarily suspended on August 5.
Clark Morgan had previously held a funeral director and embalmer intern license. IDFPR revoked that license in 2024 and fined him $10,000 for practicing with an expired license and for what regulators described as unprofessional conduct.
More significantly, Johanna and Clark Morgan were previously associated with Heights Crematory in Chicago Heights, another facility investigated for the improper handling of human remains.
The Illinois Comptroller’s Office began investigating Heights Crematory in February 2025 after receiving information that bodies were being improperly stored at the facility. Investigators found bodies stacked on top of one another, improperly contained and, in some cases, stored in trailers without adequate refrigeration. Hundreds of sets of cremated remains had also never been returned to families.
The state permanently revoked the crematory’s license in June 2025. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said at the time that the consent order meant Heights Crematory and its owners would never again be allowed to operate a crematorium in Illinois.
Susana Mendoza Reacts Again After the Discovery
Following Thursday’s discovery, Mendoza issued another statement.
“Horrified. Again,” she said, describing the discovery of decomposing remains at the South Side funeral home as an “abomination.”
Mendoza said the earlier investigation had found bodies stacked on top of one another, unrefrigerated and partially exposed, along with delayed cremations and serious record-keeping problems.
“To hear these same operators are doing the same thing again at South Chicago Chapel Funeral Home is infuriating,” she said.
Both Johanna and Clark Morgan are also named as defendants in Cook County lawsuits connected to Heights Crematory, according to court records reviewed by the Associated Press.
Neighbors Say the Smell Had Been There for Months
For people living near South Chicago Chapel, the discovery provided a possible explanation for something they had noticed long before police arrived.
Several neighbors told the Chicago Sun-Times that a foul odor around the building had been noticeable since the winter. Some also described unusual activity late at night, including vehicles in the parking lot after midnight and lights inside the building.
Neighbors said thousands of flies appeared to be coming from the property and that traps had been placed around nearby homes. Some told the newspaper they had reported their concerns to authorities approximately six months earlier.
One resident interviewed by CBS Chicago compared the odor to a dead mouse, while another neighbor said she had been smelling it for as long as a year.
There were also public complaints. A one-star Google review posted approximately two weeks before the discovery complained about both the smell and the funeral home’s professionalism.
Families Arrived Looking for Their Loved Ones
The discovery has left families trying to determine whether their relatives are among the bodies found inside.
Tarshia Logan told ABC7 Chicago that her late husband’s viewing had been scheduled for Thursday afternoon at South Chicago Chapel. When relatives arrived, however, his body was not there. Logan said only one person was at the facility and that the person walked away while family members demanded answers.
Her husband’s funeral had been scheduled for Friday.
Another woman arrived at the scene Thursday night seeking information about her mother. Her mother’s funeral had taken place on July 18, and she said she had been told the cremated remains would be available in less than two weeks. Nearly three weeks had passed without their return.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has now begun the difficult process of determining exactly who was inside the funeral home.
Investigators and forensic pathologists are examining the condition of the remains and searching through records, including death certificates and other documentation, to establish identities. Officials have warned that the process could take several days.
The Medical Examiner’s Office said it would work with other authorities to identify the deceased as quickly as possible and notify their families.
On Friday morning, remains were still being removed from the building. Chicago Sun-Times reporters saw several bodies being placed into vehicles outside the funeral home, apparently for transportation to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
As of Friday, August 7, police had announced no arrests. Detectives continue to investigate the case, while the funeral home has not responded to media requests for comment.
The investigation is ongoing.
