The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center
The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
The doors are boarded up at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, amid an ongoing investigation into its condition. Investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the funeral home during their investigation. (WDRB photo)
Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Emotional trauma, anguish and distress following accusations against a now-shuttered southern Indiana funeral home.
Late last week and over the weekend, investigators found 31 bodies and several post-cremation remains inside the Lankford Funeral Home in Jeffersonville, some "in the advanced stages of decomposition."
Jeffersonville Police, along with the Clark County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police, have been working at the funeral home on Middle Road since Friday evening after receiving information concerning the funeral home's condition.
Maj. Isaac Parker with Jeffersonville Police said Saturday that the remains were located "throughout the entire business in different locations," and that some of them had been there "from as early as March."
Amid the ongoing investigation into the funeral home, legal action is already underway.
"That's the last thing we can do for someone who we love who has died is provide them a decent burial," said attorney Larry Wilder.
But Wilder said that didn't happen for dozens of grieving families.
Nicole Lorey died on June 14, 2022, the day of her 34th birthday, in Elizabethtown Kentucky.
"The coroner of Hardin County advised them (Lorey's family), provided them with the name of this facility as someplace that they could send their loved one to receive the services they needed," said Wilder.
According to a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Clark Superior Court, the funeral home's director Randy Lankford told Lorey's family that an urn had not arrived, therefore he couldn't release her body. Now her family believes she is among the 31 bodies found inside the funeral home.
Wilder said 16 containers of remains are still unidentified.
"We believe that, civilly, there's an issue of whether there was fraud on behalf of Mr. Lankford and his funeral home," he said.
Samuel Lincoln's mom, Mary, died on Oct. 30. Her arrangements were handled by Lankford Funeral Home. But Lincoln said communication was frustrating and, after hearing about the investigation, now has his own doubts.
"I hope, I really do hope. But saying it's 100%? I don't believe so," Lincoln said. "I don't believe it's my mother."
Kelita Williams has the same fear about her brother Larry. She received his remains, but again, questions remain.
"He's made something that was already difficult much worse," Williams said. "This has been stressful and a nightmare. And we thought it was finally over, but you know, here we are."
According to a statement sent to WDRB News on Tuesday from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's Office, it's unclear whether or not any complaints had been filed yet with the funeral board or the AG's office.
"We are generally aware of the serious allegations involving a funeral home in southern Indiana. However, Indiana law precludes our office from discussing the existence of or details from a licensing investigation before a complaint is filed with a board," an office spokesperson said in an email.
Rokita's office is encouraging concerned and impacted families to file a consumer complaint with his office.
Multiple calls and messages to Lankford have not been answered. Instead, the voicemail at the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center directs callers to the Clark County Coroner's Office.
Meanwhile, Wilder hopes the potential class action lawsuit will bring peace to families grieving once again. The suit is asking for damages and a trial by jury.
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
Conroy Delouche joined WDRB Media in April of 2022.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.