Some of the families whose loved ones were discovered in varying degrees of decay at a local funeral home could be left paying a second time to fulfill their final wishes.

CALLAWAY — Some of the families whose loved ones were discovered in varying degrees of decay at a local funeral home could be left paying a second time to fulfill their final wishes.

After the discovery over the weekend of the 16 corpses at Brock’s Home Town Funeral Home, 5907 State 22, half of the bodies remained Thursday in the custody of the Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO). Six suffered severe decomposition after being stored for sometime without refrigeration in the parlor of the funeral home, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, while 10 more were kept in an outdoor refrigeration unit with inadequate temperatures.

Brock’s promptly closed and surrendered its business license after two employees were arrested with a combined total of 16 misdemeanor charges of unlawful storage of human remains. However, the families of the deceased were left wondering how and if they could afford to put their loved ones to rest.

The Office of Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater began spreading word about a “pre-need” trust fund intended to help people who made arrangements with Brock’s. The “pre-need” arrangements essentially are deposits paid on a burial or cremation before one’s death.

However, CFO press secretary Joel Brown said none of the affected families qualified to receive the funds because they paid Brock’s for a burial or cremation after the death. He said if another funeral home doesn’t step up to offer assistance, the families of the 16 deceased likely would have to pay out of pocket and then pursue relief through the civil courts.

However, he still encouraged consumers to contact the CFO to determine what course they should pursue. The toll-free number is 1-800-323-2627.

“We have to take a look at all the facts surrounding their case,” he said. “This is such a sensitive situation. We want to have that conversation to get them on the right path.”

A couple of local funeral homes have offered assistance. Chala Parish, of Kelley Funeral Home in Apalachicola, said she offered to discount the price from the usual amount of about $1,800 for a cremation for the families of the deceased.

“We’ve had quite a few people call,” Parish said. “Many of them were already strapped when they paid Brock’s, so they didn’t even have the money to pay the discounted price.”

According to the MEO, seven of the bodies have been turned over to Heritage Funeral Home to be laid to rest. One identified as an indigent was turned over to another funeral home and paid for by the county’s indigent burial fund. Directors of Heritage did not respond to calls concerning whether they would seek a discounted rate or offer charity to the families.

Local attorney Wes Pittman also has come forward, offering to represent some of the victims. He could not be reached for comment.

Cremation law

According to BCSO reports, when officers arrived at Brock’s about 5 p.m. Sunday, flies buzzed throughout the parlor of the funeral home where six of the bodies were being kept without refrigeration. In the “cooler,” 10 bodies — required to be stored at no more than 40 degrees — were stored at 62 degrees, officers reported.

“None of the bodies had been embalmed,” officers wrote. “Those remains whose families requested cremation had not been cremated.”

Many of the bodies had begun to show signs of decomposition.

According to state law, the time from the body arriving at the funeral home to cremation is supposed to be between seven and 10 days. The body so far reported to have been at Brock’s the longest dates back to a July 4 death. However, Brock’s has had other complaints about untimely cremations filed in the past six years.

Brown said the most commonly filed complaint against funeral homes is for not producing a death certificate in a timely manner, although the funeral home is not always necessarily at fault for such a delay. All four of the complaints filed against Brock’s since 2010 stated there were either delays in cremation or a death certificate was not ready in a timely manner.

Brock’s also had received two citations for operating without a current license: one in 2009 and one in 2015.

The investigation into the matter still is pending. Gregory Dunphy, 64, funeral director, and Felicia Boesch, 39, daughter to the owner of the funeral home, were arrested in connection with the discovery. The two have been charged with a combined 16 misdemeanor counts of unlawful storage of human remains: six for Dunphy and 10 for Boesch.

BCSO and the State Attorney’s Office continue to investigate and review the case to determine whether additional charges are appropriate. Boesch and her father, Don Glenn, are listed as active agents of several businesses, according to state records. Florida Vantage Cremation Services is the only active business listed at the same address as Brock’s. Glenn is the registered agent over the company, with Johnny Brock and Gerald Guynn listed as managers.