CARLINVILLE - The Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon announced Friday that an investigation has been launched into Heinz Funeral Home/Family Care Cremations in Carlinville after he said there were incidents regarding identification of human remains.
Allmon said the Sangamon County Coroner's Office and Sangamon County Sheriff's Office have launched the investigation. A press conference was held Friday about the situation, led by the coroner.
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Allmon said on Monday, Sept. 25, his office was contacted by a local hospital about a body that had been in its morgue for more than a month. Allmon said the family of the deceased woman had selected Heinz Funeral Home for assistance shortly after her death.
"The family said they had already been provided with what they thought were the cremated remains of their mother," Allmon said. Allmon added that he had to tell the family of the woman that the cremated remains were not those of their mother and the body was still at the hospital morgue.
Coroner Allmon also announced Friday that on Thursday, the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations, the Carbondale Police Department, the Macoupin County Coroner, and Allmon met at Heinz Funeral Home.
There, the coroner said they discovered the remains of three people that were not in a refrigerated setting and in an advanced state of decomposition. The bodies have not yet been identified.
Allmon said Friday his office took possession of all three bodies and took them to Sangamon County for scientific identification.
A phone message was left for Heinz Funeral Home for a statement, but there has not yet been any official comment. Any statement by the funeral home on the matter will be posted as soon as it is provided.
Allmon encourages families that have questions about any past dealings with Heinz Funeral Home to contact his office at (217) 753-6610 for any help.
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