Investigation Continues Into Human Remains Found at Providence Funeral Home

The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) and the Providence Police Department are continuing their investigation into the remains of eight individuals found at Pennine Funeral Home near Broadway in Providence last week.

Of the remains found at Pennine Funeral Home, six were bodies and two were the remains from cremations. HEALTH has tentatively identified four of the six bodies. Other results of HEALTH’s initial investigation include:

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• One of the bodies was a fetus. The other five were elderly adults. (Exact ages are unknown.)
• Two of the adults were female and three of the adults were male.

HEALTH and the Providence Police Department are working to contact the next-of-kin of those who have been tentatively identified. The bodies of the individuals remain in the custody of the Office of State Medical Examiner.
 
The license holder and sole proprietor of the facility, Alfred Pennine, died on July 21, 2014 in New Hampshire. HEALTH was contacted by a visitor to the funeral home, located at 28 Grove Street, who discovered that the bodies were not in proper storage, a violation of state regulations.
 
On July 25, 2014 HEALTH issued an Immediate Compliance Order that suspended the funeral home’s license and ordered the funeral home to cease all funeral home operations. The order prohibits any support staff or others associated with the business from conducting any funeral directing or embalming services.

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