Burr Oak Cemetery No Longer a Crime Scene-YourFuneralGuy

The latest news in the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal is that it is no longer a crime scene. This is according to the Cook County Sheriff’’s website. The cemetery has been turned over to the Court Receiver. “BURR OAK CEMETERY WILL NOT BE REOPENED AT THIS TIME”

There is enough evidence gathered for prosecution. The Sheriff sees no need to excavate the cemetery for months or years.

As mentioned in the previous post the recovered bones will not undergo DNA testing. The investigation will continue off site.

From the Press Page at the Cook County Sheriffs Website.

“The turning over of day-to-day operations to the receiver is a step towards allowing the cemetery to conduct normal business,” Dart said.  “I want to thank the public for their patience during the time we were forced to close the cemetery to process the crime scenes and ask for their continued patience while Mr. Szabelski continues to work towards re-opening Burr Oak.  I hope that everything that has been done will help ease the pain of those with loved ones buried here and allow them to finally have some closure in this matter.”

Community Members have come together to form the Chicago Burr Oak  Cemetery Historical Society. They are working together to find a fan appropriate memorial for the bones unearthed at Burr Oak Cemetery.

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal|For some no answers-

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Burr Oak cemetery pic from Dallas News.

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal: Four Arrested Indicted-yourfuneralguy

On August 6th 2009  the four people arrested in the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal were indicted by the Cook County States Attorney. When they were arrested they were charged with dismemberment of a human body(class x felony).

At the Burr Oak Cemetery nearly 300 graves were disturbed and bones were piled up at different locations. Four people were arrested.

Other indictments are listed below that were returned by a grand jury.

two counts of theft

unlawful removal of grave stones

desecration of human remains

unlawful removal of deceased human beings from a burial ground.

conspiracy to remove human remains.

Funeral Industry |Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

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Huffington Post

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal:NFDA Asks FTC To Help-YourFuneralGuy

The National Funeral Directors Association has asked the Federal Trade Commission to bring cemeteries in under the Funeral Rule. This is the Result of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal.

The National Funeral Directors Association has asked for Cemetery Reform as a result of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal. Christine Pepper the CEO of The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the FTC to strengthen  the “Funeral Rule” to include all deathcare vendors which includes Cemeteries. This would be an excellent step in preventing future cemetery scandals like Burr Oak.

The Funeral Rule already applies to Funeral homes but needs to apply to Cemeteries as well. the Full NFDA Letter can be viewed here.

From the letter:

Any time the government extends regulations over sellers in an industry or profession, it has the effect of curtailing the opportunity for abuse. If a seller is not licensed, not inspected and not regulated by federal, state or local governments, it operates in a free-for-all world where there is no accountability for any transgression… NFDA, AARP and other organizations have documented the harm that consumers have experienced…

The FTC has refused to even investigate these complaints by arguing (without any support or evidence) that the practices are not pervasive throughout the industry. As a result, cemetery and crematory consumers continue to suffer from these reoccurring scandals.”

This is the a step forward for the NFDA and they should be commended for sending the letter to the FTC, Federal Trade Commission.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal:No term burials at Burr Oak-yourfuneralguy

The good news is that Burr Oak cemetery did no term burials. This is according to cbs2 in Chicago. Term Burials or term graves as they are sometimes called are grave sites that are rented for 20 to 25 years. After that the headstone can be removed and a a grave sold on top of the older one. In this type of contract a new headstone can be placed.

It should be noted that caskets, bodies  and graves cannot be dug up without the family being notified. When it happens a Funeral Director has to be present.

The things that went on at Burr Oak Cemetery is an unspeakable crime.

Snippet from CBS2 local news

“Burr Oak Cemetery has never conducted term burials.“

You can search for headstones at Burr Oak Cemetery here: www.burroak.net

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Burr oak Cemetery Scandal:Preneed Contracts will have to be honored.-yourfuneralguy

Sometime in the future, burials will happen again at Burr Oak Cemetery.

Although the Burr Oak Cemetery is closed as a crime scene there will come a time that burials will have to continue. Preneed Contracts held by the cemetery will have to be honored. It does seem a little far off considering that the headstones visible at the cemetery are not all put up on the website.

So far there is no accounting of the desecrated graves at the  Cook County Sheriff’s website:www.burroak.net

Sheriff Dart has stated that it will  be several weeks before the listing of the headstones that are present at the cemetery will be complete.

At that time grave desecrations can be addressed that are not being handled  in lawsuits.

Another cemetery in Illinois has  had  had their licenses removed and closed have to conduct burials.This is Valley View Cemetery in Edwardsville,Illinois.  From thetelegraph.com

“They have a responsibility to the people they have sold these pre-need burial contracts, said Carol Knowles, a spokeswoman for the comptroller….burials have taken place with the volunteer help of former employees.
More burials are scheduled for the next few days.”

There is no word whether burials are being conducted at Burr Oak Cemetery now or in the future.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Burr oak cemetery pic from religion dispatches.org

Burr Oak Cemetery:2 other Illinois cemeteries licenses revoked-YourFuneralGuy

Burr Oak Cemetery is not the only Cemetery in Illinois to have it’s license revoked. It has happened at two other cemeteries in Illinois.  Mount Hope Cemetery in Bellvue, Il and Valley View Cemetery in Edwardsville, Illinois.

It had been reported(7.16.09) that the cemeteries were shut down. From www.bnd.com

“The comptroller’s office last year reported that more than $300,000 was missing from more than 450 prepaid burial accounts at the two cemeteries. People visiting those buried at the cemeteries have complained about overgrown grass and weeds and damaged headstones.”

The problem with revoking a Cemetery License like Burr Oak Cemetery in Illinois is that there are still burials to be made. Funerals need to happen in a timely fashion.  When a Funeral Home license is revoked the Funeral Home is closed. But when a cemetery license is revoked preneed contracts  are no longer sold   at that cemetery in Illinois.

The preneed contracts on the books  have to be honored. Burials will need to continue at Burr Oak, Mount Hope, and Valley View Cemetery.

A hearing is set for AUG 4th, 2009 By the Illinois Comptroller  to show cause for revocation of license.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source

House Panel to Propose Federal Cemetery Legislation-YourfuneralGuy

A US House Panel will propose National Cemetery Legislation

The  US House subcommittee( Panel) meeting in response to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal stated that they will propose National Cemetery Legislation. The subcommittee met in the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago.

Here is a brief summary of what happened.

1. The Comptroller of the State of Illinois Dan Hynes stated that cemetery law is inconsistent in the State. Right now the Comptroller only regulates financial matters(including pre need contracts)

2. Joshua Slocum the head of The (FCA) Funeral Consumers Alliance stated that Cemetery Regulation is Inconsistent across the United States of America.. and that there needs to be clear Rules. Slocum and the FCA are clear cut advocates for cemetery and Funeral Reform reform.

3. US Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. Stated that cemetery plots should be deeded. That would eliminate future Burr Oak Cemetery Scandals. This is an excellent proposal.

4. The Reverend Jesse Jackson stated that cemeteries should provide online plot information.

The United States Congress Congressional Subcommittee Was Formed By Congressman Bobby Rush.

Opposition is expected from SCI (Service Corporation International ) and STEI (Stewart Enterprises International) The two largest funeral corporations that hold  also own a significant number of cemeteries.

Generally different regulations exist for religious, private and city cemeteries.

Odds are legislation would lower the average cost of a funeral.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source Chicago Tribune

MORE INFO:

Bobby Rush to propose Cemetery Legislation

Cook County to file a lawsuit Against Burr Oak Scandal-yourfuneralguy

Cook County to File Lawsuit Against Owners of Burr Oak Cemetery

The Cook County Board voted  Tuesday night to file a lawsuit against the owners of Burr Oak Cemetery, Perpetua, Inc. The Cook County Sheriff, Mr.Dart has stated that he has used up over $350,000 of the county’s money and it certainly appears that he will need much more to bring the Burr Oak Tragedy under control.

The FBI has also state that they have not found one set of human remains that is complete. This is not just grizzly it is an incomprehensible horror. The country may not have the DNA testing facilities available to handle all those remains without a solid list of those interred there.

From the Huffington Post:

“”About $350,000 has been expended on the investigation,” Dart said at a news conference. “I can’t turn over county assets without receiving compensation.”

The sheriff described a chaotic situation in which headstones had been removed, some bodies may have been buried on top of each other and pieces of wood that might have been part of coffins were found scattered around the cemetery.”

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy, R.Brian Burkhardt, Funeral Director.

Burr Oak Cemetery owners have another Scandal-YourFuneralGuy

Perpetua Inc has two property crime scenes, Burr Oak Cemetery, Illinois and Wade Funeral Home in Missouri

The owners of the Burr Oak Cemetery have another scandal on their hands. This one occurred in Missouri at the  Wade Funeral home near St. Louis Missouri. Perpetua, Inc  owns that property. They also own Burr Oak Cemetery.

Ironically while Burr Oak Cemetery is closed  as a crime scene. The lady responsible for the theft of $200,000 in preneed funds at Wade FH, Deborah Kellom, will be sentenced on July 24th 2009. The Burr oak cemetery a  Perpetua property will still be a crime scene during her sentencing.

St.Louis From KMOV

“St. Louis, MO: Debora Kellom pleaded guilty to mail fraud involving her embezzlement of more than $200,000 from Wade Funeral Home, Acting United States Attorney Michael W. Reap announced today…..Kellom knew that the Pulaski account was a local account, and not routinely scrutinized by Perpetua management in Arizona.

It is more than obvious that Perpetua is  more than negligent in managing it’s personel and it’s properties. How many times will this Arizona Company be allowed to repeat it’s attrocities?

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Scandal: Burr Oak Cemetery|stays closed past August 1-yourfuneralguy

Burr Oak Cemetery where up to 300 graves were desecrated and 4 arrested

Burr Oak Cemetery to Stay Closed past  8.01.09

The latest news is that Burr Oak Cemetery is to stay closed  past August 1, 2009. Families will not be able to go in to check there graves til after that date. An online data base will be established to help  families determine  if the loved ones are buried there.

Burr Oak Cemetery Owners Address, Phone

Perpetua Inc, 6614 E Villa Dorado Dr, Tucson, AZ. Tel: 520-615-1227.

Arrested Manager Managed 2 cemeteries

In the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal the arrested manager managed  2 cemeteries. Five miles away Cedar Park Cemetery is another Perpetua Inc cemetery. A spokesman for  that  company said that  Carolyn Towns managed both properties.

Snippet According to  the SouthTown

“Carolyn Towns also managed Burr Oak’s sister cemetery Cedar Park Cemetery near Calumet Park, a spokesman for Perpetua, Inc. said. Arizona-based Perpetua owns both graveyards.

She was the manager of both,” Ken Carter said today……”

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Sources: Cited and suntimes.com pic from religiondispatches.org