The Indiana State Police, at the request of the Tipton County Sheriff’s Department, started an investigation Thursday into an allegation that Kevin Porter, 62, Tipton, IN failed to properly bury at least four bodies, within a reasonable time of death, as required by Indiana law.
Porter is the owner and funeral director of Porter Funeral Home at 726 East North Street, Tipton, IN.
Earlier this month, an inspection of the Porter Funeral home, by an examiner from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency Board, revealed that Porter allegedly had an expired funeral director’s license. The inspection also revealed that purportedly 11 decedents had not been issued death certificates, and four bodies were observed in a non-refrigerated area. In Indiana, a funeral director is required to have a valid funeral directors license in order to apply for death certificates for the deceased.
This afternoon, detectives from the Indiana State Police served a Tipton Circuit Court search warrant, at the Porter Funeral Home, to observe for human remains. Officers found four bodies inside the business. The bodies were released to the Tipton County Coroner’s Office for proper disposition.
This is an ongoing investigation. No further information will be released at this time.
The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Tipton County Sheriff’s Department, the Tipton Police Department, the Tipton County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Tipton County Coroner’s Office.
The Indiana Code that pertains to this investigation:
Indiana Code 23-14-54-1 Time period for disposition Sec. 1. Subject to the rights of transportation and removal of dead human bodies or other disposition of dead human bodies, as provided by law, the remains of all individuals who die in Indiana or are shipped into Indiana shall be deposited: (1) in the earth in an established cemetery; (2) in a mausoleum; (3) in a garden crypt; or (4) in a columbarium; within a reasonable time after death, except as ordered by the state department of health.
Indian Code 23-14-54-5 Violation of chapter; Class B misdemeanor Sec. 5. A person who knowingly violates this chapter commits a Class B misdemeanor.