The Maryland State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors took emergency action this month to stop Heaven Bound Cremation Services in Charles County from operating after a series of inspections discovered decomposing bodies waiting for cremation, often in cardboard boxes.

The crematory, owned by Rosa Williams and Brandon Williams, was given a 10-year state permit in December 2016, but had been on probation for much of the time since for poor practices, according to a state order issued Jan. 17 by the board. The board is an independent industry oversight panel under the Maryland Department of Health.

According to a state order, the investigation began with a complaint in 2017, and Rosa Williams acknowledged remains “were not properly disposed of” by the White Plains crematory. In March 2019, the board found the remains had still not been disposed of. As a result, Rosa Williams was ordered to complete an ethics course and practice under the supervision of a board-approved mentor.

In 2021, the board found Rosa Williams failed to comply with the order. The oversight board then added random, unannounced inspections while the crematory remained on probation.

In March 2024, a board inspector discovered “human bodies in cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other with no support between the boxes; human bodies in ripped body bags with arms and legs hanging out of the body bags; human remains that were not being stored in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit; and blood on the refrigeration unit and bodily fluids on the floor,” according to the state.

In a follow-up inspection a month later, there was a “strong odor of decomposing remains” and “flies coming out of boxes containing human bodies,” the state document shows.

After that inspection, the board concluded that both owners had violated state statutes and regulations and fined each $2,000. The crematory was also suspended for 10 days.

Earlier this month, inspectors said they found similar problems.

According to the state’s current suspension order, the cremation chamber wasn’t working, leaving bodies to pile up. The board investigation also found that a door to a refrigeration unit was blocked by boxes containing human bodies. There were unsanitary conditions throughout the facility and dried blood and other fluids on the floor, according to the order.

The owners now must surrender their permit immediately, though they have a month to request an appeals hearing.

Email and phone messages left for the crematory were not immediately returned Thursday.

A Banner review on Thursday of disciplinary actions taken by the board over the last decade and posted online did not reveal a similar case. Chase Cook, a health department spokesman, declined to comment about the Heaven Bound permit suspension or whether others had gone through similar suspensions.

Cook said the department is providing information to families they believe were clients of the crematory. Details about the investigation and permit suspension can be found on the board website. Families can also make a claim for a decedent’s body at the Maryland State Anatomy Board.