Mexico: Men arrested after 383 bodies found ‘stacked’ at crematorium as authorities investigate foul play

Families have been left reeling after authorities discovered nearly 400 bodies ‘stacked’ at a crematorium, with two men arrested over the horror find.

It’s understood the bodies were those of people who had been dead for three or four years and, instead of being cremated, had been left “one on top of the other, on the floor”.

Police discovered 383 bodies at a private crematorium in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on June 29.

Initially, 341 bodies were found, but a further 42 were discovered at the site early on Monday. There were also six partial remains found.

The bodies were stacked on top of each other, and were moved by police for preliminary examination which found that most of the bodies had been embalmed.

Eloy Garcia, a spokesperson for the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office told AFP that instead of the ashes of their loved ones, families were given “other material”.

He said the bodies were “just thrown like that, indiscriminately, one on top of the other, on the floor”.

Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos said the discovery was a “matter of terror”.

She said individuals working at the crematorium were “irresponsible and unscrupulous people who misused these licenses and permits”.

Ms Campos said the Chihuahua state government was “taking the bull by the horns, facing dialogue with the relatives who want to come forward”.

The crematorium’s owner Jose Luis Arellano Cuaron and one employee have been arrested, with authorities set to charge them for improper disposal of bodies.

Chihuahua Attorney-General Cesar Jauregui said the pair would also be charged with some “unnamed crimes established in the General Health Law”.

Mr Jáuregui said the people had been dead for three or four years and the remains will be examined for evidence of foul play.

He says the crematorium “constantly received bodies for cremation”.

“They misrepresented hundreds of times to funeral companies they would be cremating those bodies.”

Mr Jáuregui said the crematorium looked “more like a residence” than a funeral home or incinerator.

“Who knows what the ulterior motive of these subjects was, because storing that number also makes you think they weren’t providing the service.”

Marcelo Ruiz, Juarez’s Funeral Union president said the finding of unrefrigerated bodies was more than just a health concern as families who thought their relatives had been properly cremated may now find out they had not been.

“We will meet with families who mourned, who prayed their rosary and said goodbye to their loved ones according to their customs and now may find out,” Mr Ruiz said.