Funeral director pleads responsible after 31 decomposing our bodies have been discovered inside his funeral residence
- An Indiana funeral residence director pleaded responsible to theft on Friday after 31 lifeless our bodies have been present in his funeral residence.
- Randy Lankford faces a doable sentence of 4 years in jail and eight years of home arrest.
- Police began investigating Lankford’s funeral residence in July 2022 when a county coroner seen a foul odor within the constructing.
An Indiana funeral residence director pleaded responsible to 40 counts of felony theft on Friday after authorities found 31 decomposing our bodies and 17 extra cremated stays decaying inside his funeral residence for months.
Prosecutors charged Randy Lankford of Jeffersonville, Indiana with theft for failing to finish the funeral providers he was paid for by no less than 53 households, in response to The Related Press. A choose ordered Lankford to pay $46,000 in restitution to the households.
—Sean Baute (@seanbaute) May 26, 2023
The Jeffersonville Police Division started investigating Lankford’s funeral residence — Lankford Funeral House and Household Heart — in July 2022 when the county coroner seen a foul odor coming from the constructing. Among the our bodies discovered within the funeral residence had been there decomposing since March, the AP reported.
When sentenced, Lankford faces a proposed sentence of 4 years in jail with eight years of residence incarceration, Clark County Circuit Courtroom Decide N. Lisa Glickfield mentioned in courtroom on Friday.
Derrick Kessinger mentioned he waited to listen to from Langford because the stays of three of his family members sat inside his funeral residence. Kessinger attended Friday’s courtroom listening to the place Langford pleaded responsible and mentioned he did finally obtain the cremated stays of his family members.
“It has been robust, however I do forgive him for what he did,” Kessinger instructed the AP. “I hope he can discover forgiveness.”
Lankford has a sentencing listening to on June 23 and a restitution listening to scheduled on September 20, the place the choose will decide how a lot extra cash he has to pay to his victims, in response to Clark County Circuit Courtroom information.
Lankford is presently below home arrest till his sentencing listening to on June 23.
Lankford’s legal professional didn’t instantly return Insider’s request for touch upon Saturday. The telephone quantity listed for the funeral residence was disconnected.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
