Lawsuit filed over bodies found in Ohio funeral home

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A family filed a lawsuit today against a funeral home owner after the discovery of 11 bodies intended for cremation, some in a state of decay in a damp garage.

The wife of a 55-year-old man who died in May accused the funeral home owner of mistreating the body by failing to have it embalmed or properly refrigerated as required by state law.

The man’s family said that that they noticed during the funeral on May 26 for Thomas Gaston that his body looked bloated and there was a strong odor near the casket.

Ohio’s funeral directors board last week suspended the licenses for both Tate Funeral Services in Toledo and its director, Robert Tate Jr., saying that he had treated 10 bodies in a way that would outrage reasonable family and community sensibilities.