AKRON, Ohio (WKRC/WEWS/CNN Newsource) - Police were alerted on Sunday after sets of cremated remains were found inside an abandoned Ohio church.
The building was operated by an Akron man, who is currently charged with more than three dozen counts.
89 different sets of cremated remains were reportedly stored inside Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church.
Investigators say they were tipped off about the remains after an urban explorer went inside the dilapidated church.
“There's significant health issues, significant dignity issues. This is not just a regulatory issue. And some of the things we're seeing, they're just not right," said Attorney General Dave Yost.
The owner of the church, Shawnte Hardin, is currently charged with more than 36 counts tied to allegedly providing funeral services without a license.
Court records show that Hardin is not a licensed funeral director or embalmer in the state of Ohio.
In June of 2020, he was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of abuse of a corpse.
Several neighbors reportedly said that they’ve been suspicious for quite some time about what exactly had been going on inside this church. Now, they say they just hope the space gets put to good use.
Hardin’s attorney says the cremated remains actually belonged to former funeral director Robert Tate, who had his license revoked in 2016, and died in 2017.
The lawyer went on to say that Hardin agreed to store the remains while Tate tried to reach the families.
It’s not clear yet what will happen to the remains of the people found, or if they will finally be reunited with their families as the investigation continues.