Police receive hundreds of calls about troubled funeral home, ask public to submit information online
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POCATELLO — Police have received hundreds of calls from people asking for information about Downard Funeral Home since news broke Friday that multiple decomposing bodies and fetuses were found inside the building.
To help expedite the investigation, the Pocatello Police Department is asking concerned citizens to report questions and tips at this website: https://reportacrime.pocatello.us. Scroll down and click on “Information or Documentation Only Report” then complete the required form.
“When completing the online report, make sure to provide the decedent’s name, date of birth, and date of passing (if possible), along with any other information you feel may be helpful to the investigation,” a news release from the department says. “Also, communicate with other family members and try to establish one person as the point of contact. This will help reduce duplicate reporting of information.”
RELATED | Multiple decomposing bodies and human fetuses at Pocatello funeral home
Police have not provided a total body count or given any sort of explanation about why the bodies were decomposing or why fetuses were on the property. The Downard Funeral Home is owned by Lance Peck and his wife. Peck has a history of licensing violations, which are detailed here.
“We know there are a lot of unanswered questions about the case. Our department has those same questions,” Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei said in a statement. “I want to assure the families involved and the public that the men and women of the Pocatello Police Department will be working hard to provide the answers.”
Downard Funeral Home was previously in charge of donating cadavers to Idaho State University for scientific study. This relationship ended last year after the university did not receive donations for a period of time.
RELATED | ISU recently ended cadaver contract with funeral home due to ‘multiple causes’ of concern
In the process of ending the relationship, the university discovered some families believed the remains of their loved ones had already been donated. However, the university had no record of ever receiving those bodies.
If you do not have access to a computer or smartphone and need to contact police about the case, you’re encouraged to use computers in the lobby of the police department or at the Marshall Public Library. If reporting online is not possible, call (208) 234-6121.
If you’ve had a personal experience with Downard Funeral Home and are willing to share your story, email news@eastidahonews.com.