MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A Whitehall funeral home owner apparently caught with a body he was supposed to have buried has turned himself in.
Thomas Clock showed up at the Muskegon County jail Friday morning. He’s expected to be formally charged Monday.
He faces several charges, including one count of fraud, one count of attempted larceny and a third count of performing an occupation without a license against the Whitehall funeral home director.
If convicted on the fraud charge alone, Clock could spend up to ten years in prison.
A source familiar with the case told 24 Hour News 8 that Clock held a service for 86-year-old Helen Anthony in late December, burying the urn for her cremated remains at a service attended her relatives.
But in reality, Clock never had the body cremated. He didn’t have the proper paperwork and had to retrieve the body from the crematorium.
On January 9th, Clock was arrested for drunk driving in his funeral home van.
Three days later, the van was parked at the funeral home when someone found Anthony’s body in the back of the van.
Since Target 8 broke the story Thursday night, we’ve heard from several families who’ve had various issues with Clock.
State records show his mortuary license expired in October.
Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has three cases involving Thomas Clock under investigation or review right now, but that no determination has been made.
Clock owns the Whitehall funeral home and another in Ludington.
A cousin operates funeral homes in Muskegon, Grand Haven and Fruitport that have no connection to the case.
“We’ve been separate businesses for over 20 years,” said Clock Funeral Home owner Dale Clock, who said the mortuary business has been in the family for 115 years.
Dale Clock and his wife, Jodi have been trying to put the minds of those who rely on the Whitehall funeral home at ease.
The case against Thomas Clock has generated a lot of concerns and questions, including how can a family know their loved one was cremated if he was in charge.
“I’ve assured these people that we have no reason to believe that that did not happen,” Dale Clock added.
He said while there’s no evidence suggesting that this wasn’t an isolated incident, concerned family members can take it a step further by contacting the crematory.
“The crematory has records that will follow when they got the body, when it was cremated and all of those records from there,” he added.
Jodi Clock said people who have prepaid funerals don’t need to worry, even if the funeral home they planned to use run into trouble.
“That family has the right to take it to their funeral home of choice. And any funeral will honor those funds there,” she added.
To report problems with a funeral director or service, contact the state through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs or though the Michigan Funeral Directors Association.