Ray Brent Marsh, the operator of a northwest Georgia crematory where 334 corpses were discovered in 2002, apologized to the community Monday in a handwritten letter.

Marsh pleaded guilty to 787 counts of theft, abuse of a corpse, burial service fraud and making false statements. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2004 and walked out of Central State Prison in Bibb County on June 29.

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“I humbly and very respectfully acknowledge the hurt and pain my actions have caused,” Marsh wrote. “I sincerely apologize.”

The Tri-State Crematory was torn down in 2005 as part of a settlement with relatives of people sent there.

The mystery inspired a Georgia-based filmmaker.

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