CARLINVILLE, Ill. — The state's attorney in Macoupin County, Illinois, is asking for a special prosecutor to take over the office's review of potential criminal activity of a former funeral director who is also accused in a lawsuit of giving hundreds of families the wrong cremated remains.
Prosecutors are looking into fraud allegations against the former director of Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville. The forgery allegations are not related to the funeral home or his role as director, and a special prosecutor won't be looking into the allegations about cremains.
The forgery claim was made by his ex-wife. Court records show she filed for divorce in 2022. Since then, she has filed for multiple orders of protection.
The Macoupin County State's Attorney Jordan Garrison filed the request because he and the ex-wife making the accusations are childhood friends.
5 On Your Side has not identified the funeral director because he has not been charged with a crime.
Although his work as a funeral director will not be investigated by a special prosecutor, a civil lawsuit is active against him and the funeral home. According to the lawsuit, Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville gave out the wrong cremains to roughly 800 families between 2017 until 2023.
According to an affidavit signed by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon, he has confirmed that Heinz gave out the wrong cremains to 75 families.
To this point, Allmon believes as many as 800 families across Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, California and Oregon could be impacted.
Attorney Joe Craven, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of some of the families, said last month that he believes the number of victims could continue to grow.
The director of Heinz Funeral home has since relinquished his license in the state of Illinois.
A Sangamon County judge must now decide whether to certify the case as a class action.
