US: Decomposing bodies found, Indiana funeral home director pleads guilty to 40 theft counts

The director of a funeral home in southern Indiana pleaded guilty to over 40 counts of felony theft on Friday (May 26) after 31 decomposing bodies and the cremains of 17 others were found at the premises. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press on Saturday, Clark County Circuit Court Judge N. Lisa Glickfield said that Randy Lankford,the owner of Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville,faces a proposed sentence of 12 years.

The sentence includes four years in prison and eight years in home incarceration, Judge Glickfield said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Lankford was charged with theft for failing to complete funeral services he was paid for, and must also pay restitution to 53 families totalling $46,000. He was released to home incarceration after the hearing, and a formal sentencing hearing has been planned for June 23, the report said.

The investigation

The police in Jeffersonville began investigating the Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in July last year after the county coroner’s office reported a strong odour emanating from the building. In a statement, Major Isaac Parker said cops worked through the night and into the morning and located 31 bodies, "some of which were in advanced stages of decomposition," along with the post-cremation remains of 16 other people, according to a report by USA Today.

ALSO READ | New York funeral home discovers woman breathing hours after she was pronounced dead

The unrefrigerated bodies were found in various states of decomposition, and some had been at the funeral home since March 2022.

We wanted to get justice for families: Clark Country prosecutor

Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull highlighted that many charges against Lankford and existing court backups from the Covid pandemic complicated the process. Mull said he felt that the Indiana administration's move to eliminate about half of the counts would grant the most immediate form of relief.

“We wanted to get justice for these families,” the prosecutor said.

A man named Derrick Kessinger had three loved ones,his father Mickey Kessinger, fiancée Aierell Barton and her father Richard Barton,in the care of the funeral home. Kessinger, who attended Friday's hearing said he trusted Lankford while the remains of his loved ones sat inside the funeral home.

“It’s been tough, but I do forgive him (Randy Lankford) for what he did. I hope he can find forgiveness.”

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.