Rotting bodies my fault, says undertaker

A tearful Ohio undertaker accepted responsibility for discarding eight corpses found rotting in the building.

In a plea agreement, Henry Harden, 62, pleaded no contest to abusing a corpse and to a theft charge stemming from a 1,100 (£730) payment for funeral services that were never provided.

As part of the agreement, Harden’s wife – co-owner of the Sherill-Harden Funeral Home – will not be charged, nor will further charges be brought against Harden. He faces up to nine years in prison when he is sentenced on October 10.

The couple left the court in Toledo without making any statement, but lawyer John Potts said they were relieved the investigation was over.

“They’re not callous people. They’re not people motivated by greed,” he said.

Authorities found the eight bodies in June. Six were in the home’s preparation room and two in an adjacent garage.

Some bodies had been gnawed by rodents and were left for months. One was left since 1996; another has not yet been identified. Harden has told investigators he believes the unidentified body was left before he took over the business.

Harden said he got into financial trouble because he would reduce rates or provide free services for the poor. At least once, he gave a casket to a family that could not afford one, Potts said.

“Over the years, he has done a lot of good for the community,” Potts said. “We hope that is taken into consideration.”

The Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors has suspended his licences and shut down the funeral parlour.