Ohio funeral home in cremation error can't reopen

COLUMBUS (AP) — The state won’t allow a funeral home that cremated the wrong child’s body to reopen under new ownership.

The Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors voted 4-1 Tuesday against a proposed takeover of the Marlan J. Gary Funeral Home, which last month had its license suspended for six months over the cremation error.

The Columbus Dispatch reports members of the panel who opposed the new license were most concerned about plans to keep the name the same. Board member Linda Betzer says consumers would think nothing had changed.

The morgue mistakenly released the body of a 14-month-old boy to the Gary home, which cremated the child against his parents’ religious beliefs. The home was supposed to cremate the body of another boy 22 days old.