Chicago's Bohemian National Cemetery under investigation for mishandling remains, state comptroller says

Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune on Aug 9, 2026

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A second Chicago facility is accused of mishandling human remains after nearly five dozen decomposing bodies were discovered at a Southeast Side funeral home last week.

The Bohemian National Cemetery and Crematorium in North Park has been ordered to stop accepting any new human remains after investigators were alerted to possible storage violations, the Illinois Comptroller’s office said in a press release.

The office received the tip on July 22, the press release said. On July 23, staff visited the site and found “multiple equipment failures and some human remains waiting to be cremated that were not maintained at the proper temperature.”

At the time, 35 individuals were waiting to be cremated at the facility. All have since been cremated, and the remains have been returned to their respective families, the comptroller’s office said.

Bohemian National Cemetery is complying with the ongoing investigation, the comptroller’s office said.

On Thursday, 57 decomposing bodies were found at South Chicago Chapel after a complaint was filed reporting that remains were not being properly stored.

During a walk-through of the facility, the regulator and three officers encountered the people’s remains stored in different areas of the funeral home unrefrigerated, according to a police incident report.

Late Friday, a police spokesman said Calumet Area (Area 5) detectives are conducting a criminal investigation.

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