CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (June 24, 2025) – A Chicago Heights crematory agreed to permanently shut down Thursday after claims were made earlier this year regarding the crematory’s improper handling of human remains. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Heights Crematory amid news of malpractice.
In February, a months-long investigation began after whistleblowers provided photos that brought the crematories’ negligent practices to light, according to the New York Post.
The investigation revealed the crematory was improperly handling human remains – storing bodies in broken refrigeration units, and at least 6 or 7 bodies were piled on top of each other on the main floor while awaiting cremation. Before the photos provided by whistleblowers, Heights Crematory was repeatedly cited and warned for their mishandling of human remains.
The suburban Chicago crematorium was temporarily shut down in February, awaiting a court hearing to determine the business’s fate. However, the hearing was canceled after Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza ensured that Heights Crematory’s license would be permanently revoked through a consent order on June 19.
“These are people. They’re people’s loved ones, family members. And to see anyone treated in that disrespectful, undignified manner in death was disgusting to me.” Mendoza said.
CBS News reports that multiple lawsuits have been filed against the crematorium following the investigation.
The legal actions include instances where families received remains that did not belong to their deceased relatives. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office also said it received more than 500 boxes of ashes from Heights Crematory that had never made it to the families of the deceased. Multiple people have also come forward with concerns about mishandling their relatives’ remains, leading to severe emotional trauma and distress.
