Funeral home director in Pennsylvania accused of letting body rot for weeks

A funeral home director in Pennsylvania, United States, is facing criminal charges and a lawsuit after being accused of allowing a deceased woman’s body to rot for weeks instead of cremating it as agreed.

Garrett A. Singer, the owner of Singer-Kader-Neff Funeral Home and Cremation Services in the town of Howard, Pennsylvania, is alleged to have mishandled multiple remains, including that of 92-year-old Joan Donley, who passed away in November 2023.

According to a lawsuit filed on March 12, 2025, by Donley’s daughter, Sherry Cramer, the funeral home failed to perform the cremation, provided false information about the body’s whereabouts, and ultimately left the remains unembalmed and unrefrigerated for six weeks. The case is being handled in Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Funeral home accused of misleading family

Cramer’s lawsuit states that Singer’s funeral home retrieved Donley’s remains immediately after her death, but did not request payment or require any paperwork at the time. The agreed-upon cremation cost was $3,125 USD, but the lawsuit alleges that the cremation never took place.

Over the next six weeks, Cramer says she repeatedly contacted the funeral home to inquire about her mother’s cremation and death certificate but received contradictory and misleading responses.

At different times, Singer’s funeral home falsely claimed that:

• The coroner’s office had possession of Donley’s remains.
• The ashes were already at the funeral home, ready for collection.

However, at no point was Cramer told the truth—that her mother’s body was still inside the funeral home, untreated and decaying.

Body discovered in advanced decomposition
On December 19, 2023, Pennsylvania State Police and the Centre County Coroner’s Office launched an investigation into Singer’s funeral home after receiving multiple complaints about missing death certificates.

Investigators discovered Donley’s body inside the funeral home in a severe state of decomposition, according to the lawsuit. The remains were found unembalmed, unrefrigerated, and placed on a table, showing clear signs of advanced decay.

Due to the extent of decomposition, officials initially struggled to confirm the identity of the remains. Only after comparing dental records and a hip replacement identification number was it determined that the body belonged to Joan Donley.

Further investigations revealed that other bodies at the funeral home had also not been properly handled, raising concerns about systemic negligence at the facility.

Legal action and pending criminal charges

Cramer has filed a civil lawsuit against Singer and his funeral home, citing:

• Negligence and gross negligence
• Negligent infliction of emotional distress
• Interference with a corpse
• Breach of contract

She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal fees and any further relief the court finds appropriate.

Meanwhile, criminal charges against Singer are expected to be filed this week, according to Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether additional families have been affected, but the ongoing investigation could result in further legal consequences for Singer and his funeral home.