COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A former Missouri funeral director has been sentenced to 60 days of house arrest and five years of probation for intentionally giving the wrong ashes to grieving families.
Harold Warren Sr. of Columbia also was ordered Monday to pay restitution to the families.
State officials ordered Warren Funeral Home to close in July 2008 after a woman’s body was found stored in an electrical room for 10 months without being embalmed or refrigerated. Investigators later found several more decaying bodies.
The Columbia Tribune reported that Stewart Freilich, senior counsel for Attorney General Chris Koster, said during the sentencing hearing that the 77-year-old Warren was incompetent but wasn’t a con man.
Warren’s attorney, Dan Viets, says his client felt shame and embarrassment for his actions.
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Information from: Columbia Daily Tribune, http://www.columbiatribune.com