A regular eviction notice led to an unexpected and grim discovery at the Johnson Funeral Home in Douglas, Georgia, resulting in the arrest of the funeral director, Chris Johnson. The routine procedure uncovered 18 decomposing bodies, leading to multiple felony charges against Johnson.
On October 26, 2024, deputies serving the eviction notice at the location on 2760 U.S. Hwy. 441 South found the bodies, including those of children, in different stages of decomposition inside a cooler. Johnson, 39, is facing 17 counts of abuse of a dead body, brought against him by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
As the investigation unfolded, it was found that certain families had unknowingly received ashes, assuming they were the cremated remains of their loved ones. In reality, the actual bodies were still inside the cooler.
Sherri Thomas, a local resident of Douglas, expressed her frustration with Johnson. She revealed that despite making numerous calls, she still had not received the death certificate for which she had fully paid, causing her to question if the remains she got were indeed her mother’s.
There were other instances where legal threats were necessary for individuals to obtain death certificates for their loved ones.
A client named “Janell,” who had used the funeral home services, narrated her experience. She frequently saw Johnson’s car parked at the funeral home but found no response at the door or on the phone. After threatening legal action, she finally received the death certificates almost a year later.
Angela Howell, a nearby resident, commented on Johnson’s demeanor, “He seemed like such a good person when we first met him.” She was shocked by the news, “He was just kind and gentle, so when someone sent me the link from WALB, I was like, ‘That can’t be.’”
On paper, Johnson’s professional qualifications seemed in order. He secured his license as a funeral service apprentice in 2014 and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer two years later. Johnson had no prior complaints filed against him before this incident. In May 2024, Johnson ran for Coffee County coroner, but his campaign was unsuccessful.
The arrest warrant indicates that Johnson’s actions demonstrated “willful negligence” and “intentional disregard of proper storage” of the remains, causing significant disfigurement of the deceased. Given the severity of the charges, a judge ordered Johnson to be detained without bail until his trial.
Apart from the human remains, investigators also found a deceased cat and dog on the premises. The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, along with the GBI, are undertaking efforts to identify all the bodies and inform the impacted families.
As the investigation progresses, more charges are expected. Once the investigation concludes, the case will be handed over to the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
In a similar case, the owners of a Colorado funeral home recently pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges. They were accused of misleading clients and misappropriating nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds. During this investigation, authorities found 190 decomposing bodies stored in the building.
