A Lesson on Illinois’ Cemetery Laws

A Lesson on Illinois’ Cemetery Laws

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.
Earlier this week, it was discovered that hundreds of bodies were unearthed and dumped in a pile at the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip. It’s the final resting place of public figures like Dinah Washington, Willie Dixon, and Emmett Till. While Indiana and Kansas had their own recent cemetery and funeral home scandals, the discovery at Burr Oak stands out. To learn what laws protect the dead we turned to Harvey Lapin, a former general counsel for the Illinois Cemetery and Funeral Home Association. He helped craft many of Illinois’ cemetery laws.