In northern England, authorities removed almost thirty-five bodies from a funeral home, leading to the arrest of a man and a woman on Sunday for allegations of fraud and obstructing a lawful burial, according to Humberside Police.
The arrests came after a detailed five-day probe at three facilities of Legacy Funeral Directors located in Hull and East Yorkshire.
Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin stated that the bodies had been transported to a Hull mortuary for identification purposes.
The individuals apprehended a 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, whose names were not disclosed, are suspected of fraudulently misrepresenting services and abusing their positions to prevent lawful burials.
The specifics of the allegations have not been elaborated upon.
This incident mirrors past scandalous situations in the U.S., where funeral home managers faced legal action after numerous bodies and cremains were discovered on their premises.
Notably, a Colorado funeral home was investigated last year when nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found, leading to multiple charges against the proprietors, including mishandling corpses and issuing counterfeit ashes to grieving families.
Since the announcement of the investigation, over 350 individuals have reached out to Humberside Police with concerns regarding the services they received from the implicated funeral home.
Assistant Chief Constable McLoughlin assured the public of the police’s commitment to addressing these inquiries diligently and providing support to the affected families during this challenging period.
Legacy Funeral Directors, a family-operated business established in 2010 and expanded since, claimed on its website to offer personalized and flexible funeral services, setting it apart from competitors.