Judge dismisses body disposal charge against crematory owner

By COREY WILLIAMS
Associated Press

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (AP) — A charge of improperly disposing of a body has been dismissed against the owner of a crematory in southeastern Michigan. Washtenaw County District Judge J. Cedric Simpson ruled Monday that state prosecutors didn’t have the evidence to support the felony charge against O’Neil Swanson. Swanson said Thursday that the body was dropped off in March 2019 at Tri-County Cremation Services in Ypsilanti Township — more than a year before the limited liability corporation he was a part of bought the facility. Swanson, who pleaded no contest to two felonies in 2019 in connection to a Flint-area funeral home, says he’s been targeted by Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The Associated Press left messages Thursday seeking comment from the state licensing agency.