Indiana funeral director's license suspended as investigation into improperly stored bodies continues

JEFFERSONVILLE — The licenses for an Indiana funeral director and his facility have been suspended more than a month after 31 unrefrigerated corpses were found in body bags throughout the facility.

Randy Ray Lankford agreed to surrender the licenses for himself and his facility, Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center. The State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Service approved the suspensions Thursday.

The bodies were found by Jeffersonville Police on July 1. Authorities say some of the bodies had been kept there for an extended period, with at least one of them having been there since March. The officers also found the cremated remains of 17 individuals.

“Grieving families must be able to trust that their loved ones’ remains will be respectfully and properly handled,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said in a news release. “Further, the unsanitary conditions at this funeral home posed a clear and immediate threat to public health and safety.

At least two families have filed lawsuits in connection to the case. The licenses are suspended indefinitely.

Documents say the Clark County Coroner's Office is currently in the process of identifying the bodies and remains and returning them to their families.

The investigation is ongoing, and Rokita's office is asking anyone with information to contact the Attorney General’s Licensing Enforcement Section by calling 1-800-382-5516.