Family 'shocked' that relative's body found in garage

THE FUNERAL for Albert Andrews was heartfelt, a fitting celebration of his life.

Family came from all around the East Coast to the chapel at From the Heart Church Ministries, on 20th Street near Erie in North Philly.

That was July 30, a few days after Andrews, 83, died of "old age" at a nursing home, his nephew, Donnie Andrews, said last night.

The elder Andrews' body was supposed to be cremated after the service, as promised by the staff of Powell Mortuary Services. Instead, police pulled the severely rotted corpse out of a garage around the corner from that funeral home Tuesday.

"Most of my uncle's siblings were buried by Powell," Donnie Andrews told the Daily News, adding that his family has "a long history" with the funeral home.

"For this to happen is a major shock."

Donnie Andrews was contacted yesterday by his uncle's three daughters, who arranged the July funeral. None of the women live in the city - one lives in South Carolina, another in Virginia and the other in Maryland - and had fielded calls from local investigators about the gruesome discovery.

They were livid to hear, Andrews said, that their father was one of the three bodies found by a resident who lives near the garage, on Hagert Street near 27th in North Philly.

"They're upset, and rightfully so," he said last night. "They paid for a service that wasn't given to them, not to mention what they did with his body."

Janet Powell Dailey, the owner of Powell Mortuary Services, hadn't been charged with a crime as of yesterday, police said. State officials confirmed that Powell Dailey operated her business, inherited from her mother, with an expired license since 2012, and was cited in May for doing so.

Powell Dailey's son, Chris Dailey, told the Daily News that the bodies had only been in the garage for a few hours Tuesday: He had moved them there temporarily as he prepared to bring them to a crematorium.

The identities of the two other bodies hadn't been released as of last night.

City officials cremated Albert Andrews' body after it was recovered in the garage, and Donnie picked up his uncle's ashes yesterday morning from Price Funeral Home, on 43rd Street near Wallace in West Philly.

Price is linked to Powell - its owner, John Price Jr. allowed Powell Dailey to use his facility while hers was under renovation, he told the People Paper on Wednesday.

But state officials confirmed that same day that Price Funeral Home is also operating under a lapsed license.

While city and state officials sift through this ever-deepening investigation, Donnie Andrews is withholding judgment against Powell Dailey.

"I'm going to pray for her," he said. "I don't know why it happened, and I don't know how it happened, but it shouldn't have happened.

"All we can do now is wait to see what the outcome is."