After a plethora of lawsuits, Heights Crematory, located in Chicago, Illinois, has been permanently shut down in an unprecedented move by the state. The crematory was accused of mishandling bodies, storing them in broken coolers, and even misplacing ashes.
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According to CBS News, Heights Crematory is the first crematory to be permanently shut down by the State of Illinois. Susanna Mendoza, the Illinois State Comptroller, had promised to revoke the crematory’s license months ago troubling reports started to appear.
While the crematory was scheduled to appear in court, Heights Crematory agreed to shut down its business voluntarily.
“The practical effect of this order is that Heights and its owners will never operate a crematorium in the state of Illinois again,” Mendoza said in a recent news release.
Back in March, Mendoza stated that she wouldn’t trust the business with her pet. Furthermore, evidence showed, as per Mendoza, that bodies were shown in plastic bags, sheets, and even bodies being piled on top of other bodies.
“When I saw these pictures, I felt that our dog got a more dignified treatment in death than these people did?” Mendoza said at the time. “These are people. They’re people’s loved ones, family members. And to see anyone treated in that disrespectful, undignified manner in death was disgusting to me.”
Previous Violations
CBS News reported on several alleged violations from 2024, which included a cadaver being stored in a “broken refrigerator.”
One of the most recent Heights Crematory accused is Brianna Woodward. Her two babies were born prematurely and passed shortly after their birth. When she received their urns, she noticed that they carried more ashes than their little bodies could provide.
“It’s very gravelly,” Woodward said. “It looks like they went outside to that area that you built and just grabbed some rocks off the ground and threw them in a bag to me.”
Wren Williams, another accuser, complained to the State of Illinois. Reportedly, she received someone else’s remains instead of her mother’s.
“I just felt that it was complete neglect,” Williams said at the time.
Reportedly, the State of Illinois recovered 504 boxes of ashes that were never delivered to their loved ones. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office is currently handling the remains.