Chris Johnson, the local funeral home owner who has been in jail since late October after 18 decomposing bodies were found inside his funeral home, has waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on all counts. Johnson entered the plea on February 12, 2025.
Johnson has been indicted on 66 total counts related to the funeral home incident and a separate forgery case. Last month, he was denied bond and remains in custody.
Here are the individual cases along with their accompanying indictments:
Individual 1: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
Individual 2: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception
Individual 3: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception
Individual 4: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
Individual 5: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, and theft by deception
Individual 6: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
Individual 7: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
Individual 8: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
Individual 9: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
Individual 10: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception (two counts)
Individual 11: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, and theft by deception
Individual 12: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, and theft by deception
Individual 13: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
Individual 14: Dead body abuse, theft by deception, and abandonment of a dead body
Individual 15: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, violation of vital records registration, theft by deception, and insurance fraud
Individual 16: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, and theft by deception
Individual 17: Dead body abuse, abandonment of a dead body, theft by deception, and violation of vital records registration
In a separate incident, Johnson has also been indicted for insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, forgery in the first degree, and violation of vital records registration after he allegedly changed a cause of death on a death certificate in order to receive an insurance payout.