An active investigation is underway at a Mount Vernon funeral home that had already drawn scrutiny for allegedly operating without a license, according to News 12 New York. A city spokesperson said there was an incident at the Camelot Funeral Home on Tuesday that has now prompted a fresh look at the business.
The Attorney General's office is actively investigating what happened at the funeral home, the station reported. News 12 said it had reached out to the office for more information but was still waiting on specifics about the nature of the latest incident.
The funeral home has been under a cloud for months. Earlier this year, an indictment was brought against the home's director, Michael Naughton, following earlier scrutiny of how the business was being run and whether it was properly licensed.
According to officials, an inspection by the state's health department found bodies in various states of decomposition, as well as boxes of cremated remains, at the funeral home. The discovery pointed to serious problems in how the business had been handling the deceased.
After those findings, an emergency order was issued for the funeral home to cease operations. The order effectively shut the business down while authorities pursued the case against it and its director.
The renewed activity at the site drew notice in the surrounding community. As one neighbour put it, it is unusual to see police around a funeral home, and residents said they were not sure exactly what the latest case involved as the investigation continued.