More Remains Found Inside Cantrell Funeral Home In Detroit

DETROIT, MI — Another disturbing discovery was made inside the former Cantrell Funeral Home on Detroit's east side, according to reports. The cremated remains of four people were found at the funeral home in the second gruesome discovery in the last week. A worker stumbled across the remains while cleaning the basement, officials said.

The remains of four more people were found in the basement, two Wednesday and two over the last couple of days. Many people are worried there could be more discoveries, because there's more cleanup to do and the facility is large, according to reports.

The bodies of 11 infants were found hidden away in a shuttered funeral home in Detroit on Friday, police said.

Detroit Police Lieutenant Brian Bowser told reporters at a news conference Friday night that state authorities received an anonymous letter detailing the existence of the whereabouts of numerous human remains in the funeral home. According to The Detroit Free Press, the remains were found at the Cantrell Funeral Home.

Bowser said the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs went to the funeral home where they were met by the current owner. Authorities went to the location described in the letter and found a box and a small casket.

LARA officials then called Detroit Police who removed the boxes from a false ceiling between the first and second story of the building. Bowser said police discovered the remains of 11 stillborn infants.

A state police cadaver dog went through the building and no additional bodies were found, Bowser said.
Authorities do know the identities of some of the remains and the Wayne County Medical Examiner will be notifying families.

It is unclear how old the remains are.

Bowser said authorities have not been in contact with the former owner of the funeral home but do need to speak to him.

The funeral home was shut down in April due to deplorable conditions, according to Fox2Detroit. According to the news channel, some bodies are the funeral home were badly decomposed and covered in mold.

The owner at the time, Raymond Cantrell, admitted to Fox2Detroit in an interview that he held the preserved bodies, adding that it was his attempt to accommodate the community who couldn't yet pay to bury their loved ones.

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