Jeffersonville funeral home owner facing criminal charges

JEFFERSONVILLE, In. (WAVE) - A Jeffersonville business owner is facing criminal charges two months after his funeral home was raided and 31 bodies were found inside along with the cremated remains of 16 people.

According to our partner News and Tribune, Randy Lankford is facing three felony theft charges and two misdemeanor theft charges in connection to this case.

Family members told the News and Tribune at Lankford’s civil hearings that they’d been waiting for criminal charges.

According to the court records, the felony charges said Lankford “did knowingly or intentionally exert unauthorized control over the property” of the cremated remains of three people, “with the intent to deprive (family members) of any part or the use or value of the property, said property of having a value of at least $750 and less than the value of $50,000.”

The misdemeanor charges are connected to two of the felony charges and allege Lankford “exerted unauthorized control” over the remains of two of the people in his care or the money given to him for the cremated remains with the intent to deprive the victims of any part of use or value of the property.

News and Tribune report that Lankford is facing two class action civil lawsuits from families who said he gave them the wrong remains or had them waiting for months.

Many agencies responded to Lankford Funeral Home and Family center, that is where they found the remains of nearly 50 deceased people on July 1.

Authorities said they were tipped off when neighbors reported a smell in the area.