Body count at Tri-State Crematory rises to 339

LAFAYETTE - Officials say workers at a northwest Georgia crematory found eight more bodies Tuesday, pushing the number of discarded bodies to 339.

Of the 339, only 74 have been identified.

The operator of Tri-State Crematory, Ray Brent Marsh, was charged with another 102 counts of theft by taking -- two per body for 51 of the bodies. That brings the total number of counts against Marsh to 118.

Marsh was granted a release on $100,000 bond earlier Tuesday morning, although he has not yet left Walker County jail.

In asking the court Tuesday afternoon for a bond hearing for these new charges, Marsh's attorney, Ken Posten, accused Walker district attorney Buzz Franklin of timing the charges so that Marsh could not be released.

A day of prayer led by local pastors is scheduled for Wednesday. A hearing for appeals to the court-issued gag order on the case will be held Friday.