Police continue Downard Funeral Home investigation
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - Detectives are continuing to work with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses to identify cremated remains from Downard Funeral Home and Crematory and locate the next of kin.
The majority of the cremated remains that have been identified by officers have been returned to the next of kin.
Officers have been receiving questions regarding identifying cremated remains through DNA testing. The Idaho State Police Forensic Services office (ISPFS) said the cremation process is very destructive to DNA and while ISP laboratories are equipped with highly modern technology and equipment, it is unlikely testing would produce identification. Despite efforts, at this time, officers are unable to find any public or private DNA laboratory able to perform DNA testing likely to identify the cremated remains.
Detectives are still working with the Bannock County Coroner to identify Subject #11. If anyone has information regarding this individual, please contact the Pocatello Police Department at 208-234-6121 or the Bannock County Coroner’s Office at 208-236-7377. A description of Subject #11 is included below:
Adult female approximately 60s to 70s at the time of her passing. The female was bald and had a curly dark grey wig. She had pink acrylic or press-on fingernails and was wearing a long pink pajama shirt with a screen print of a bear holding a coffee cup, wearing pink bunny slippers that had “I’m a BEAR in the morning” printed on the front. She had a medical port on her chest that was purple. The female may have been in hospice care at the time of her passing. It is estimated that she had been at the facility for approximately 2 weeks before 9/3/2021.
If you have a tip or are requesting information about a deceased loved one, please complete the form at https://reportacrime.pocatello.us. Once you are on the website, scroll down and click on “Information or Documentation Only Report” then complete the required form. You’ll receive an automated email confirming receipt of your report. When completing the online report, please provide the decedent’s name, date of birth, and date of passing (if possible), along with any other information you feel may be helpful to the investigation. Also, communicate with other family members and try to establish one person as the point of contact. This will help reduce duplicate reporting of information.
If you do not have access to a computer or smartphone, there are computers at the Marshall Public Library as well as in our front lobby. If reporting online is not possible, you can contact the Police Department at 208-234-6121.
