
Crematory Lawsuits: Families Sue Over Mishandled Remains
Multiple Lawsuits Filed Against Illinois and Indiana Crematories for Mishandling of Remains Chicago Heights, IL and Crown Point, IN – May 22, 2025 – Dozens of families are suing two crematories in Illinois and Indiana after allegations of mishandling human remains surfaced. The lawsuits, filed Thursday, claim improper storage and commingling of remains, with some families receiving incorrect remains or none at all. The Illinois Attorney General's office is involved in the case. Dan Spanley, a resident of Crown Point, Indiana, is one of the plaintiffs. His mother, Lisa Spanley, passed away in October 2024. Spanley paid $800 to Crown Cremation Service in Crown Point to cremate his mother's remains. "My kids ask me, you know, when are we getting Grandma back?" Spanley said in a video interview. "I have to explain to them that there's a lot of stuff going on right now and I can't give them a definite answer on that." Attorneys for the plaintiffs, Karen Enright and Gabriel Hawkins, held a press conference on Thursday to announce the lawsuits. Enright stated, "They expect that the funeral home or crematory will fulfill their obligations in a sacred manner. And this has been a gross disruption of that process." Hawkins added that this wasn't an isolated incident, but a pattern of practice. The state has already shut down Heights Crematory in Chicago Heights, Illinois, after bodies were found stacked outside a trailer. Both Heights Crematory and Crown Cremation Service have declined to comment on the pending lawsuits. A hearing regarding the crematories' fate is scheduled for June 24th. This case highlights the importance of careful oversight in the cremation industry and the emotional toll on families when such sacred processes are mishandled.