Downard Funeral Home demolished. Here’s what happens now with the property.
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POCATELLO — Downard Funeral Home in Pocatello has been demolished.
Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 recently purchased the property at 241 North Garfield Avenue and decided the best use for the land would be a parking lot for the students of Pocatello High School.
“I don’t think we would want to use that building as any instructional space whatsoever,” said Dr. Douglas Howell in a Board of Trustees meeting when they voted on whether or not to approve a letter of intent to purchase the funeral home.
According to the School District’s letter of intent, administrators expected the purchase of Downard to be $500,000. The property is right across the street from Pocatello High School, which currently lacks sufficient student parking space. Jonathan Balls, the district’s director of business operations, said at the board meeting that putting a parking lot on the property would create approximately 110 new parking spaces.
Police officers were greeted with the foul stench of a dozen decomposing bodies when they raided the funeral home in September 2021. The Pocatello officers searched the facility for hours and and also found 61 jarred fetuses as well as unidentified ashes.
The funeral home’s former owner, Lance Robert Peck, has been charged with 63 misdemeanors following an investigation and he’s scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 16. Bannock County Prosecutor Stephen Herzog told EastIdahoNews.com felony charges are expected to be filed. There has also been two lawsuits filed by two families who were affected by the alleged crimes.
Each misdemeanor charge carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. If Peck was found guilty for every misdemeanor charge, the maximum sentence would be 31 and a half years and a fine of $63,000.
Crews tore down the funeral home this week and the building where the human remains were discovered is officially gone. The affected parties wait for the October trial date to find out what consequences Peck may face.
