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Georgia funeral director charged with harassment and jailed
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Georgia funeral director charged with harassment and jailed

A south Georgia funeral home director was jailed after authorities found 18 decomposed bodies at his funeral home in several states while announcing the release over the weekend.

Coffee County Sheriff’s deputies took Chris Johnson into custody in Douglas, Ga., on Monday after finding the bodies at the funeral home the previous day. The office accused Johnson 17 times of mistreating the dead.

Coffee County Sheriff’s Office deputies said the 18 improperly stored bodies included a dog and cat, as well as “multiple children.”

“The investigation is active and ongoing, with additional charges expected as authorities continue to gather evidence and conduct extensive investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deceased individuals,” the sheriff’s office said, according to WRBL-TV. he said.

Johnson was denied bail and was still being held in jail as of Tuesday evening.

Johnson had run for the publicly elected Coffee County coroner position but lost the primary in May. Douglas is about 200 miles southeast of Atlanta.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called by the sheriff’s office to join the investigation.

According to local publication Douglas Now, the Georgia State Board of Funeral Services granted interim control to Johson Funeral and Cremation Services on July 19, even though Johnson was not an active funeral director, embalmer, or establishment licensed.

Johnson renewed his embalmer and funeral director licenses in September, but the establishment license required to operate the facility was still outstanding.