The remains of 11 babies found in an abandoned funeral home in Detroit

The heavily decomposed bodies of eleven babies were found in the double ceiling of the former funeral home in Detroit, the city police said on Friday. The remains were found late in the evening on the same day a few hours after receiving an anonymous letter with detailed instructions on where and how to search for bodies.

Photo: WDIV-TV frame

The bodies of the children were hidden inside the former funeral home Cantrell Funeral Home, which authorities closed in April, finding numerous violations of state law, writes USA Today. Nine of the bodies were in cardboard boxes, and two more were in small coffins.

Following the discovery of 11 bodies, the police recruited a police dog trained to search for remains. After searching the entire building, Detroit Police Lieutenant Brian Bowser reported that no other bodies had been found.

"We have several names associated with the remains found and we will try to contact the families," Bowser said.

The lieutenant could not say how long the remains were in the structure of the building or how old they were. He said that he was shocked by the “heartlessness” of the man who put the remains of babies, including probably stillborn, in a cardboard box hidden in the sloping ceiling of the staircase. The police intend to talk with the longtime owner of the former funeral home Raymond Cantrel.

“Obviously it was either an employee or someone who had knowledge of the business and the building. The same person hid the bodies there for an unknown reason,” the police officer added.

Detroit Police Lieutenant Brian Bowser. Photos: CNN frame

The business successor to this funeral home in Detroit is based in Eastpoint, Michigan, as Cantrell Funeral Services. The firm’s website highly appreciates Raymond Cantrell, the owner of a former funeral home in Detroit. The site states:

“Our father, Raymond Cantrell, founder of Cantrell Funeral Home in Detroit, provided excellent service for over 50 years. Our goal as the next generation of funeral directors is to continue in his footsteps of quality, family-oriented, customer-focused funeral service.”

A spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulation confirmed on Friday that government inspectors had found children's remains.

“We will use the information collected today to add to the open investigation and will continue to work with local law enforcement as this case continues,” said Jason Moon, director of government relations for the agency.

In April, state investigators discovered that embalmed bodies had been stored for months in an unrefrigerated garage and other unsanitary areas that allowed them to decompose - for example, one body was stored from January to April before being cremated, officials said.

Photo: WDIV-TV frame

The funeral home, which had been in business for half a century, also committed numerous other violations of state rules, such as failing to turn over to the bank more than $21 it received as advance payments from at least 13 clients who had signed contracts for future funeral services.

Also in April, state regulators suspended the funeral services license of manager Jamek LaJois Boone. In general, authorities accused Cantrell Funeral Home employees of “fraud, deception, dishonesty, incompetence and gross negligence in the practice of funeral science.” After that, the funeral home was closed.

By law, for fraud involving customer funds, the perpetrator may pay a fine of 5 thousand dollars or go to prison for up to five years; both penalties are possible. What awaits the guilty in the case of children's remains and who they will be, is still unknown.

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