146 bodies removed from Las Vegas funeral home after license pulled
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Clark County coroner’s office helped transfer 146 bodies from a now-closed Las Vegas funeral home to another, a spokesperson said.

Two weeks ago, the Nevada Board of Funeral and Cemetery Services voted to pull the license of McDermott’s Funeral Home and Cremation Services. The board met over two days to review four complaints filed against the business, which is located in an industrial area on Western Avenue near Sahara Avenue.

The board found the business failed to timely bury or cremate bodies — including one case where a woman was not cremated for almost 11 months, documents said.

On Friday, Aug. 8, affiliate KLAS recorded coroner staff moving bodies from the property. The remains were transferred to Davis Funeral Home.

“The team at Davis is working through each case with care, compassion, and urgency. However, as you can imagine, the scale of this situation is overwhelming,” Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse said in a statement. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as the staff navigates this difficult process.”

Photos provided in board documentation show stained sheets, which the inspector notes were not changed after a subsequent inspection. During one visit, the inspector noted “fluids of a body… had dripped onto a body on a lower shelf and onto the floor.”

In a response to the allegations, the funeral director wrote to the board, indicating most of the bodies awaiting burial or cremation involved social services and that “takes weeks, months or in extreme cases over a year to complete.” That process involves the county paying for the funeral home’s services if a family cannot or if the person does not have next of kin.

In 2021, the board cited McDermott’s for a similar delay in service.

A representative from McDermott’s did not respond to a request to schedule an interview.

Seven members comprise the board, including two who oversee funeral services at two competing Las Vegas funeral homes, according to the board’s website.

KLAS Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.com.

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