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‘Like something from a scary, filthy freak show’

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Illinois

The pictures that are said to depict the condition of the embalming room of the Moran Queen-Boggs Funeral Home in Centralia are shocking.

Eight photographs and one video taken late last year purported to show the conditions of the funeral home depict piles of dirty sheets, a dead rodent rotting in a stairway and water running from pipes in the embalming room.

The person who took the photographs requested to remain anonymous for their safety but filed a complaint to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in December. […]

“The embalming room was spraying water from pipes overhead with bottles, trash, fluids, sheets, clothes and things unrecognizable all over the room,” the complaint stated. “This place is horrific, looks like something from a scary, filthy freak show.”

More than 10 weeks after that complaint – and three days after a Capitol News Illinois reporter visited the funeral home and sent questions to IDFPR – funeral home director Hugh Moran said the agency conducted an inspection on Monday. IDFPR would not confirm that they had inspected the embalming room, citing confidentiality. Moran said Tuesday afternoon that he was still operating. […]

This comes weeks after allegations that IDFPR failed to act for months against another Illinois funeral director in Carlinville after receiving a complaint alleging the director cared for remains in an “unacceptable and criminal nature” and had a decomposing body in his prep room.

You gotta wonder how prevalent this problem is.

Go read the rest. But the pics are pretty disgusting.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 1:34 pm

Comments

Recently took a tour of one of our local funeral homes. It was spotless and well maintained. I would like to think this is an anomaly, but one does not know I suppose.

Comment by Route 50 Corridor Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 1:37 pm
My experience with state agencies is that you normally have a small team of lawyers who are constantly defending delays in enforcement because they’re used to the molasses-slow civil court process. It takes strong administration to push back on that when a problem needs immediate solving. This should have been one of those times.

Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 1:48 pm
You gotta wonder? Not really. Given the general history of IL regulatory snafus, Superfund sites and mismanagement the odds are there are others. How about dropping an FOI on IDFPR for the inspection reports. This is not unique to current administration.

Comment by Annon'in Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 2:22 pm
Add this to the fiasco in Carlinville, one could think funeral homes need more oversight.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 2:25 pm
How many more times is DFPR going to come under fire for not fulfilling their statutory responsibiities? We have huge licensing delays for professions regulated by DFPR as well as funderl homes/crematoriums without adequate oversight.

It’s time to clean house at DFPR starting with Secretary Treto.

Comment by Thinking Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 2:46 pm
I am going to be sick.

Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 3:06 pm
This unfortunate situation does not reflect well on the elected County Coroner who was aware of the situation but did not consider it to be serious enough to contact the proper authorities.

Comment by illini Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 3:11 pm
IDFPR needs to focus on the basics of being a regulator. If the Secretary isn’t up to the job maybe it’s time to find someone who is.

Comment by Wilson Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 3:18 pm
Illini, you are correct. Also, the city of Centralia, just like the city of Carlinville, has the ability to close this business. IDFPR can only revoke the license of an individual. If there is another licensed funeral director, the business can continue operating.

There are several layers of failure here. Blame them all.

Comment by FIREDup! Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 3:20 pm
My grandma died last year and lived in Centralia. I’m glad we didn’t use MQB.

Comment by Fivegreenleaves Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 7:40 pm
===I would like to think this is an anomaly, but one does not know I suppose.===

The population loss in rural areas impact all kinds of businesses.

===Recently took a tour of one of our local funeral homes. It was spotless and well maintained.===

Unless this was a surprise tour, the problem isn’t going to be folks that operate the kind of establishment where they’d let people go on tours.

===It takes strong administration to push back on that when a problem needs immediate solving. This should have been one of those times. ===

A lot of statutes have built in time frames for responses and appeals. I also question what the criminal enforcement arm of the DFPR looks like for funeral homes. If I were throwing the book at someone, I don’t think I’d contact the organization that can’t process applications for licenses in a reasonable amount of time.

Standing water and squalor really seem more like local code violations and public health issues.

I’d be interested in knowing how many of the thousand unfilled state jobs are at the DFPR.

On the brightside, once ProPublica picks it up the Governor’s office might actually do something about it and pretend like at some point between January of 2019 and now that they haven’t yet become responsible for the conditions of the agencies they administrate.

Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Feb 28, 24 @ 9:03 pm