Marsh's mother, sister charged with faking death certificates

LAFAYETTE - The mother and sister of former crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh pleaded not guilty today to charges they falsified death certificates in the Tri-State Crematory case.

Clara and LaShae Marsh were arraigned in Walker County Superior Court.

Ray Brent Marsh pleaded guilty in November 2004 to 787 counts of theft, abuse of a corpse, burial service fraud and making false statements after more than 300 uncremated human remains were found at the crematory in February 2002.

Ray Brent Marsh allegedly stopped performing cremations at the Tri-State Crematory in the late 1990s, when he took over the family business. Investigators acting on a tip in February 2002 discovered a ghastly scene of bodies dumped in woods, buildings and sometimes stacked on top of each other. He was sentenced in January 2005 to 12 years in prison.