WHITE PLAINS, M.d. — The Maryland Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors has shut down a crematorium serving the Baltimore area after an inspection of the business with a history of violations revealed their practices continued to break the law on proper storage of remains.
CJ Greenidge discovered this weeks after she agreed to use Heaven Bound Cremation Services for her father's remains.
"The people that were in charge of running Heaven Bound were evil. I think they took advantage of people at their worst and most vulnerable point," she said. "It causes real damage. It's a lot to deal with losing someone that you love and to know that as soon as they left this house, you don't know what could have happened."
A representative of the business delivered ashes to Greenidge on Monday.
"Truthfully, I am 100% sure it's not all him," she said.
Cecil Greenidge died on Dec. 4 after he quickly declined during his battle with cancer, leaving his youngest a short time to find a cremation business.
"He was just my rock honestly," Greenidge said.
She settled on Heaven Bound as nothing seemed amiss in online reviews. But documents reveal a much darker picture of what had been happening behind the scenes.
"It made me sick to my stomach, honestly. It was incredibly hard to read," she said.
The independent board under the Maryland Department of Health suspended Heaven Bound's cremation permit on January 17, 2025 after a board inspector discovered a week prior that the cremation chamber was not working.
It's reported that bodies were stacked on top of one another, stored in ripped bags with body parts exposed, more than a dozen bodies stored above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and there were visibly decomposing bodies at the facility, including one that had been there since March 2024.
There was also dried blood on the floor and fluid leaking into boxes containing bodies, the inspector noted.
The board has previously fined business owners Rosa Turner and Brandon Williams $2,000 for improper storage in September 2024 with similar complaints dating back to 2017.
Statement from a Maryland Department of Health spokesperson:
The Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors is, by statute, an independent board. Per the board’s reported disciplinary actions, Heaven Bound Crematory ceased operations on January 17, 2025.
The reports regarding Heaven Bound Crematory are deeply unsettling. The Maryland Department of Health condemns in the strongest terms any mistreatment of human remains—on the basis of policy, respect for Maryland families, and basic decency.
Although the department does not have oversight of daily operations for the Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors, the department stepped in immediately upon learning of the circumstances at Heaven Bound Crematory to have the local health department issue an abatement order, given the egregious health hazards present. The department also issued an administrative subpoena, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to support the State Anatomy Board’s efforts to notify the affected families. We are committed to continuing to support the ongoing investigation into this matter in any way that is appropriate and commensurate with the scope of the department’s charge.
Funeral Oversight in Maryland
Greenidge says the suspension is too little, to late.
"Shutting down a business that should have been shut down 10 years ago isn't justice," she said.
The business' attorney has not responded to WMAR 2 News' request for comment and it's unclear if they plan to challenge the suspension.
According to the order, Heaven Bound has 30 days to request a hearing to challenge the suspension.
Meanwhile, Greenidge wonders just how many other families may have been left in the dark and is considering legal action.
