Candidate says discarded corpses will be an election issue

LaFAYETTE - A state legislator whose district includes the Tri-State Crematory may have to answer for a bill he sponsored that helped the crematory owners, a candidate for his seat said. <br> <br> Jay Neal, the only announced Republican challenger to Rep. Mike Snow, D-Chickamauga, said the discovery this spring of more than 300 discarded bodies at the crematory in Noble will ``play a major part in the election&#39;&#39; this November. <br> <br> Crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh is charged with 294 counts of theft by deception for taking money for cremations he never intended to perform. He remains in custody and is seeking bond. <br> <br> ``The citizens of Walker County have a lot of unanswered questions about the tragedy and about Mike Snow&#39;s involvement in it,&#39;&#39; Neal told the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press. ``My opponent took some actions to give some special favors to the (crematory operators).&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Snow sponsored a 1992 funeral home bill amendment that exempted private crematories from the requirement that a licensed funeral director must operate the facility. <br> <br> The crematory operator at the time, Marsh&#39;s father, Ray Marsh, has not been charged in relation to the discarded corpses. <br> <br> Snow denied any wrongdoing in sponsoring the amendment. <br> <br> ``I didn&#39;t do any more for the daddy than I would have done for anybody else who asked me for help,&#39;&#39; Snow said. <br> <br> Snow, who has represented the district since 1986, said it&#39;s time to move beyond the crematory. <br> <br> ``I have heard from a lot of my Republican friends in and out of the General Assembly who don&#39;t think that should be an issue,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> But some people whose family members&#39; bodies were found on the crematory grounds said they will continue to ask questions about the crematory. <br> <br> ``I plan to keep the crematory issue alive and do what this Georgian can do to make Snow&#39;s role in this thing known,&#39;&#39; said Rock Thomas, whose mother&#39;s body was found on the Tri-State property Feb. 16.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193730