COFFEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Coffee County funeral home owner is in jail after deputies found 18 decomposing bodies while serving an eviction notice.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Chris Johnson, 39, is the owner of Johnson Funeral Home. When deputies served him with the notice Saturday, they found the bodies "in various stages of decomposition."
After the discovery, deputies began investigating. Eventually, the Coffee County Sheriff's Office asked the GBI to step in and help. The GBI is still investigating what happened. Johnson faces 17 charges of Abuse of Dead Body, which carries a minimum sentence of one year, according to Georgia law.
The GBI says more charges are expected, and urges anyone with information to call the Coffee County Sheriff's Office at (912) 384-4227. You can also call the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103.
Those who want to submit an anonymous tip can call the GBI tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at the GBI's website, or on their See Something, Send Something mobile app.
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