GBI announces new charges against South Georgia funeral home director
A South Georgia funeral home director arrested after officials found 18 decomposing bodies while he was being evicted last year is now facing new charges.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Friday it has charged Chris Lee Johnson, 39, with 38 new felony and misdemeanor charges, including one count of felony by theft, one count of violation of vital records registration, seven counts of misdemeanor theft by taking, three counts of felony theft by deception, 13 counts of misdemeanor theft by deception and 13 counts of first-degree forgery.
The new charges against Johnson come amid an ongoing investigation into the remains found at the now-defunct Johnson Funeral & Cremation Services in Coffee County, the GBI said. The agency started the investigation in October of last year.
In January, a grand jury indicted Johnson, who operated the Douglas funeral home, on 62 counts of alleged crimes.
According to the January indictment, of the 18 bodies identified, 16 of their families or loved ones were given fake cremains in the form of “a substance … represented as” cremation remains.
It also said at least two of the decedents whose remains officials found had been dead for nine months.
About the Author
Caleb Groves is a general assignment reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's politics team and a Kennesaw State University graduate.
