BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Licensing is investigating why at least two bodies were improperly stored at a Bellingham funeral home contracted by Whatcom County.
Multiple sources told KING 5 News it's possible six or more bodies were left unrefrigerated for days.
A county spokesman said the Executive's office was not aware of the situation until KING 5 notified him.
The story starts along Highway 539, known locally as Guide Meridian.
A 24-year-old woman was hit and killed by a car. Her body was in the care of the Whatcom County Medical Examiner.
The medical examiner's normal offices are undergoing renovations that are taking longer than expected.
In the meantime, the medical examiner is using Moles Funeral Home to perform autopsies and store bodies, but over the May 10 weekend, bodies started stacking up.
Multiple sources told KING 5 the young woman was left unrefrigerated for so long her body started to decompose and became covered in flies.
Her family hoped to see her face one last time, but too much time had passed.
Sources said at least one other body was left unrefrigerated that weekend, as well.
According to the funeral home's website, Moles has been around for 130 years and receives glowing reviews.
In a promotional video posted to YouTube the business's owner, John Moles, said, "For four generations, now, our family has taken it very serious in terms of our reputation, in terms of the kind of service we provide being something people can depend on and know they can trust."
However, several people familiar with the situation said this is not an isolated incident. Bodies were sometimes stored unrefrigerated in a garage for coolness.
Industry insiders who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal told KING 5 the situation is "inconceivable."
Another said, "The families deserve better."
Exactly how this happened and who is responsible remains unclear, but there are only three refrigerated spaces for bodies available to the County at the funeral home, and overdose deaths have put pressure on the system.
Whatcom County officials declined an interview request for this story but issued a statement saying, "We recently heard some concerns regarding the storage of bodies at a funeral home where we have a facility use agreement for our Medical Examiner to conduct autopsies. As a result, we've decided to open a fact-finding investigation into the matter."
Whatcom County Councilmember Ben Elenbaas believes law enforcement should get involved, telling KING 5, "The allegations appear credible enough that there should be an investigation. The right thing needs to happen."
Elenbaas said the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) is aware of the situation.A WCSO spokesperson said there is no active investigation at this time.
John Moles, owner of Moles Funeral Home, sent a statement to KING 5 Thursday evening in response.
"We couldn't move decedents without a request from the Medical Examiner's Office, which has a legal responsibility for the decedents," Moles said in the statement. "We didn't receive a request on Friday, May 10. It was the sole responsibility of the Medical Examiner's Office to make arrangements for the proper handling of those decedents. It's understandable why families are distraught over this situation and we are heartbroken over this mismanagement and negligence by the Medical Examiner's Office."
Attorneys for the deceased woman declined to comment but confirmed legal action is being considered.