Affidavit from coroner says Heinz Funeral Home could have misidentified 100s of human remains

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — An investigation into a Carlinville funeral home shows that up to 800 human remains could have been misidentified.

Heinz Funeral Home came under scrutiny last fall when Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon's office was contacted by a local hospital about a body that had been in its morgue for more than a month.

"Our investigation has discovered numerous incidents similar to this that involve Heinz Funeral Home/Family Care Cremations telling the descendants' family that their loved one had been cremated, that they had then been provided with remains, when in actuality, a cremation never even took place," Allmon said during a news conference in September 2023.

In an affidavit filed in a pending lawsuit obtained by WAND News, Allmon reports that his office has assisted with "several hundred phone calls concerning reports of mishandled cremains" and has confirmed 75 cases of families receiving incorrect cremains.

He also notes that his investigation showed that Heinz handled around 800 cremations from 2017 to 2023.

"Based on my office's investigation, the individuals who contracted with Heinz Funeral Home, LLC and/or Family Care Cremation, LLC for cremations between 2017 through 2023 cannot be certain that they have the actual cremains of the deceased person entrusted to Heinz Funeral Home, LLC and/or Family Care Cremation, LLC for cremation."

Following the investigation, Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) worked with Allmon to create the Integrity in Death Care Act.

The new law, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, will create an identification system for all human remains to ensure funeral homes never mishandle human remains again.

"This identification system is something we can all get behind," said Allmon when the law was signed. "I think it's non-partisan. I think it's common sense."

Don and Joe Craven, of Craven and Craven, P.C., are preparing a class action lawsuit for the hundreds of families who contracted with Heinz during those five years.