United States: Remains of 63 infants, foetuses found at funeral home in Detroit
Authorities immediately declared the business closed and its license was suspended.
The police in Detroit city of Michigan in the United States on Friday found remains of 63 infants and foetuses in a funeral home. The remains, found at the Perry Funeral Home near Wayne State University after a raid, were handed over to state investigators, the Detroit Free Press reported. Authorities immediately declared the business closed and its license was suspended.
As many as 36 infants and foetuses were found stored in boxes, and 27 in freezers.
The incident comes a week after 11 infants’ remains were found at the Cantrell Funeral Home. Authorities discovered the remains after an anonymous letter arrived in the offices of state regulators in Lansing. However, Detroit police chief James Craig said no connection between the two cases had yet been established, Reuters reported.
“I have never seen anything like this in my 41 and a half years as police officer,” Craig said at a press conference. “It’s disturbing, but we will get to the bottom of this.” Craig said a man involved in a civil suit over the improper burial of his infant daughter tipped off the police about violations at Perry Funeral Home.
Attorneys for the parents of the child said they are plaintiffs in a lawsuit that they hope will allow them to represents dozens of people whose children were improperly buried at Perry Funeral Home. Two of the attorneys said many more foetuses – as many as 200 – may be found at the funeral home.