Leak & Sons, the operator behind three funeral homes in the Chicago area, has been sued after a Chicago family alleges that another corpse was dressed in their loved one's clothes and personal possessions on the date of the funeral.
The lawsuit, filed by St. Louis-based Morgan & Morgan, alleges that Leak & Sons was contracted by the family for a funeral after the death of Phillip Williams Sr., the plaintiff's father, on Aug. 2, 2022.
Leak & Sons was utilized by the family "for the sheltering, caretaking, protecting, transporting and ultimately, the proper dignified, lawful disposition of the remains of his father."
According to the lawsuit, Leak & Sons assured the family that the remains had been prepared for a "dignified, respectful, lawful burial" ahead of the funeral at the South Side funeral home on Aug. 19.
The lawsuit alleges that Leak & Sons employees dressed the corpse in Williams' clothes and presented those remains to the family for the funeral, which the lawsuit says was "extremely traumatic."
Leak & Sons had allegedly placed Williams' remains in another facility, more than a 60-minute drive from the funeral home. Employees had to "scramble" to prepare and retrieve the corpse for the funeral the following day.
“The Williams family entrusted Leak and Sons Funeral Home to ensure Mr. Williams Sr. was laid to rest with the utmost care, dignity, and respect. Instead, what was supposed to be a peaceful and loving gathering to honor their father allegedly turned into a confusing and stressful nightmare. We will fight to hold the funeral home responsible for this alleged disgrace and to make sure no other family is put through this ordeal," a statement from Morgan & Morgan said.
Local
Leak & Sons operates three funeral homes in the Chicago area, with locations in Country Club Hills and Matteson in addition to the South Side funeral home.
NBC Chicago has not heard back from Leak & Sons funeral home following a request for comment.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
