Tri-State and a handful of funeral homes that did business with the northwest Georgia crematory have been named in 110 civil lawsuits.
Charles Crawford of Nashville - also a crematory owner - testified Monday at a U.S. District Court hearing on whether to expand a suit against the Tri-State operators to class-action status.
When he first inspected the crematory on June 22nd, Crawford said he found no licenses, no refrigeration and no method of keeping up with the bodies.
He said it was in serious disrepair and that there was nothing that would lead him to recommend Tri-State Crematory.
The defense is fighting the class-action status because prosecutors are trying to include every person who has sent a body to Tri-State since it began doing business in 1982. Crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh didn't take over the family business until 1996.
Marsh faces more than 300 counts of theft by deception and 64 counts of abuse of a corpse. The criminal case is scheduled to start sometime next year.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/12/186495