As reported by the Toledo Blade, a 57 year-old man has been arrested and charged for allegedly “fondling” and having “sexual contact by means of touching erogenous zones” with a 51 year-old female corpse in a Michigan funeral home.
According to Toledo Municipal Court documents, the woman, B.S.C., died of multiple organ failure on March 4 while living at Hospice of Northwest Ohio.
L.C., a part-time employee at H.H. Birkenkamp Funeral Home, was arrested on March 8.
A spokesman for Birkenkamp said that L.C. had since been fired.
The police department’s special victims investigation began March 7. On March 6 M.N., 27, and A.T.T., 33, B.S.C.’s surviving children, had been contacted by Susan Birkenkamp, the funeral home’s manager, and told that their mother had been “mistreated.”
During the meeting, the sibling’s claim that Birkenkamp told them that if they were to take the matter to the police if would become public record. Then, allegedly, Birkenkamp offered to cover the family’s $11,000 funeral bill – if they agreed not to contact the police.
Lisa Marshall, the funeral home’s spokesperson, said that she did not agree “with the characterization that you (the press) got from the family.” Marshall further said that Birkenkamp had contacted the group that oversees the state’s funeral homes: the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.
Jennifer Baugess, the boards’ acting director, confirmed Marshall’s statement.
Marshall added, “We deeply regret that these circumstances are causing additional stress and anguish for this family” and that officials at the home are cooperating with police in the investigation.
L.C. was unlicensed and it is unclear whether he had regular contact with bodies, and what his job duties were.
M.N. said that he was told that the “fondling” was witnessed by another funeral home employee.
The body has since been moved to the Ansberg-West Funeral Home.
A.L., B.S.C.’s mother, said, “We can't even bury her now. We can't make funeral arrangements. We don't know if the police will hold her body. She didn't deserve this. None of the family deserved this.”
Baugess said that the if the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, also investigating the incident, finds any wrongdoing the license for the funeral home, or its director, could be suspended or revoked.
The body was embalmed on March 5.
It is uncommon for an autopsy to be performed on an embalmed body, according to Lucas County Coroner Dr. James Patrick, and they have yet to be contacted by the police department to perform the service.
Dr. Patrick said, “As a general rule, we can get a fair amount of information, but each situation is unique and we just have to see what we would be able to do.”
The 150-year-old funeral home was the subject of an abuse case over two decades ago: In 1988 two former employees were found guilty of abusing a corpse.
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