Mother's attorney tells how her baby's remains were found at Cantrell

DETROIT (WJBK) - Several lawsuits have been waged against the former Cantrell Funeral Home.

The attorney in one such case is speaking out as the Governor's office decides to step in to investigate.

"Somebody came running out of the hallway," said attorney Bill Colovos. "And said 'Oh my God, what happened?'"

The story goes like this. In 2011 a 20-year-old mother had just given birth to a still born baby at Harper Hutzel Hospital. The child was only 5 months.

"So she contacted Cantrell Funeral Home and they told her - because she was of lower income - to contact the state DHS," Colovos said.

Her attorney, Bill Colovos, claims she kept calling the hospital and Cantrell and couldn't figure out where the baby went.

"Finally she just gave up," he said. "She got tired of calling Cantrell, she got tired of calling Hutzel Hospital."

Fast forward to 2014, she says she gets a call - her baby boy Morris had been cremated. But it was a knock on the door last Wednesday that changed everything.

Police told her the child was one of the 10 fetuses and one baby found at the former Cantrell Funeral Home months after it was shut down for having moldy and deteriorating bodies.

"(They said) Your baby Morris was found in the ceiling at Cantrell Funeral Home," Colovos said.
 
FOX 2: "How do you process something like that?" 

"Exactly," Colovos said.

Police Chief James Craig launched a multi-jurisdictional task force Monday to investigate Cantrell, but also Perry Funeral Home where 63 fetuses were found a week later.

Now Gov. Rick Snyder, wants to take a broader look - using several state departments to figure out what’s going on at funeral homes.

They've seen more complaints and the cases have become more complex. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs regulators will also be increased to seven.

Bill Colovos says the police are doing DNA testing to be certain the child belongs to the parents.