Funeral home owner arrested after 18 decomposing bodies found during evacuation

DOUGLAS, Ga. (WALB) – On Sunday afternoon, the owner of Johnson Funeral and Cremation Services in Douglas was arrested following an investigation.

According to Douglas Now, Chris Johnson was arrested by authorities at his home and taken into custody.

Multiple agencies were at Johnson Funeral and Cremation Services in Douglas Saturday evening.

According to Douglas Now, a clearance operation at the funeral home found 18 bodies, as well as two pets – a dog and a cat – in various states of decomposition.

On Saturday evening, the sheriff's office told WALB that a search warrant was being executed, but did not provide a reason for the search.

However, on Sunday, Douglas Now reported that the Douglas Fire Department's hazmat unit was on scene to recover the bodies and left the funeral home at 10 p.m. Saturday.

Several bystanders told WALB that they saw officers from the Coffee County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) at the funeral home.

We have asked the GBI for more information and are waiting to hear back.

This is a developing story. Stay with us.

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