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Relatives recoil as investigation into stored bodies deepens

Relatives of the dead are reeling at the discovery of three bodies in a Strawberry Mansion garage, as an investigation continues into the funeral home that stored the corpses there.

Investigators continued to dig into Dailey's funeral home business this week, which has multiple liens placed against it and has been sued several times in small-claims court by former customers. (ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ/Staff Photographer)
Investigators continued to dig into Dailey's funeral home business this week, which has multiple liens placed against it and has been sued several times in small-claims court by former customers. (ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ/Staff Photographer)Read more

Relatives of the dead are reeling at the discovery of three bodies in a Strawberry Mansion garage, as an investigation continues into the funeral home that stored the corpses there.

Reginald Andrews, who attended his uncle Albert Andrews' funeral July 30, said he was shocked to learn that his relative's body had languished in a garage on the 2600 block of Hagert Street.

On Tuesday, neighbors investigating a foul odor discovered the bodies, all badly decomposed. Police quickly traced them to the funeral home around the corner, Powell Mortuary Services, operated by Janet Powell Dailey.

Dailey told police she was aware of the bodies in the garage, but has declined to comment on the matter or answer reporters' phone calls.

After the discovery, the bodies were taken to another funeral home.

Reginald Andrews said that his older brother, Donnie, handled most of the planning of their uncle's funeral last month and that nothing seemed amiss. The family believed the body had been cremated, Andrews said.

Only after his cousins, who live out of state, called him Thursday did Reginald Andrews learn where his uncle's remains were.

"It's heartbreaking," he said.

Investigators continued to dig this week into Dailey's funeral home business, which has multiple liens placed against it and has been sued several times in small-claims court by former customers.

Court records show Dailey had also been sued by the city, the IRS, and the Philadelphia School District. In one instance in 2013, the city filed a claim against the business for $214,425 for taxes owed that year.

James Austin said his family had used Dailey's funeral service for years, so when his niece died last September, he counseled his grandnephew, Darian Austin, to call Powell Mortuary Services.

Darian Austin later sued Dailey in small claims court for allegedly refusing to repay a $7,900 deposit the family gave her for funeral services. The court initially ruled in Austin's favor after Dailey did not show up to court, but later dropped the matter after Austin failed to respond to a legal document.

The dispute would lead James Austin to research Dailey's license to direct funerals, which he learned had expired.

Dailey eventually renewed the license, but Austin said he filed a complaint with the state nonetheless.

He said he had been disheartened by the experience.

"We have been dealing with this woman for years, never had any problems, and I trusted her," he said.

The state Board of Funeral Directors cited Dailey's business in May for operating with an expired license since 2012. Dailey was also cited for operating with a lapsed funeral director license for about a year.

A law enforcement source said the state board that handles funeral home licenses was investigating Dailey's business practices and that the results of that investigation would be turned over to police. The District Attorney's Office will decide whether to press criminal charges.

In the meantime, Reginald Andrews said, it was hard for him to talk or even think of his uncle and what had happened to his body.

"No one wants any of their loved ones mistreated, or something as horrible as this found out," he said. "Nobody wants to go through that."

215-854-2961@aubreyjwhelan