Washington authorities are investigating why bodies were improperly stored at a funeral home in Bellingham

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Licensing is investigating why at least two bodies were improperly stored at a Bellingham funeral home contracted by Whatcom County.

Multiple sources told KING 5 News that six or more bodies may have been stored unrefrigerated for days.

A county spokesperson said the county clerk’s office was unaware of the situation until KING 5 notified them.

The story begins on Highway 539, known locally as Guide Meridian.

A 24-year-old woman was struck and killed by a car. Her body was placed under the care of the Whatcom County Coroner.

Renovations are taking place in the coroner’s regular offices and are taking longer than expected.

In the meantime, the coroner is using Moles Funeral Home to perform autopsies and store bodies, but by the weekend of May 10, bodies began piling up.

Multiple sources told KING 5 that the young woman lay unrefrigerated for so long that her body began to decompose and was covered in flies.

Her family hoped to see her face again, but too much time had passed.

According to sources, at least one other body was also left unrefrigerated this weekend.

According to the funeral home’s website, Moles has been around for 130 years and receives rave reviews.

In a promotional video posted on YouTube, company owner John Moles said: “For four generations, our family has taken our reputation very seriously. We want the type of service we provide to be something that people can rely on and know they can trust.”

However, several people familiar with the situation said this was not an isolated incident. Sometimes bodies were stored unrefrigerated in a garage to keep them cool.

Industry insiders, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, told KING 5 that the situation was “unbelievable.”

Another said: “The families deserve better.”

How exactly this happened and who is responsible is still unclear. However, the county only has three cold storage rooms for corpses at the funeral home, and the many deaths from overdoses are putting the system under pressure.

Whatcom County officials declined an interview request for this article but issued a statement saying, “We have recently heard some concerns about the storage of bodies at a funeral home for which we have a user agreement with our medical examiner to perform autopsies. For this reason, we have decided to open a fact-finding investigation.”

Whatcom County Council member Ben Elenbaas believes law enforcement should be involved. He told KING 5, “The allegations seem credible enough to warrant an investigation. The right thing has to be done.”

Elenbaas said the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) is aware of the situation. A WCSO spokesperson said there is no active investigation at this time.

John Moles, owner of Moles Funeral Home, sent a statement to KING 5 in response Thursday evening.

“We could not move the deceased without a request from the coroner, who has legal responsibility for the deceased,” Moles said in the statement. “We did not receive a request on Friday, May 10. It was the coroner’s sole responsibility to make arrangements for the proper handling of these deceased. It is understandable why the families are distressed by this situation and we are deeply saddened by this mismanagement and negligence on the part of the coroner.”

The deceased woman’s lawyers declined to comment but confirmed that legal action is being considered.

REGARD: KING 5’s top story playlist on YouTube