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New arrest in funeral home, decomposing bodies case
The GBI has announced the arrest of a second man in their investigation into a south Georgia funeral where 18 decomposing bodies were discovered. James Sirman was charged for allegedly trying to obtain life insurance proceeds by altering the cause of death on a death certificate.
COFFEE COUNTY, Ga. - A second arrest has been made after over a dozen bodies were found decomposing in a south Georgia funeral home in October.
James A. Sirmans, 52, of Fitzgerald, has been charged with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.
Sirmans' charges stem from a 2023 investigation by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance John F. King. Sirmans allegedly fraudulently obtained additional life insurance proceeds by altering the cause of death on a death certificate in 2022. He was booked into the Coffee County Jail, but has since been released on bond.
Deputies found 18 bodies in various stages of decomposition while serving an eviction notice at Johnson Funeral & Cremation Services in Douglas, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta. The owner, 39-year-old Chris Lee Johnson, was initially charged with 17 counts of abuse of a dead body, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
He has since also been charged with theft by taking, theft by deception, forgery, submitting fraudulent vital records, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, two counts of insurance fraud and six counts of violation of vital records registration. Johnson is still in custody.
So far, the GBI has identified 16 of the 18 remains and notified the families. They are still working to identify the two others.
The GBI Crime Lab is also evaluating cremains that were found at the funeral home to determine if they are human. They are also working to verify that any ashes that were given to families were given to the correct ones.
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Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office at (912) 384-4227 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov, or through the "See Something, Send Something" mobile app.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team report, with details being provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.