Study suggests too many bodies buried at Burr Oak

[Robbien]

Source: AP



CHICAGO -- Thousands more people may be buried at a historic black cemetery in a Chicago suburb than the land can hold, according to a study obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

The study suggests that the practice of stacking caskets on top of each other or simply discarding remains was more common at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip than anyone suspected, law enforcement officials said.

The Cook County Sheriff's Police study, obtained by The Associated Press after filing a Freedom of Information request with the sheriff's department, comes six months after the department charged four former workers with taking part in a scheme in which they allegedly dug up graves and resold burial plots.

According to the study, records indicate between 140,190 and 147,568 people are buried at Burr Oak, while an analysis of maps of the property reveal the maximum number of graves the cemetery can hold is about 138,000.

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But the report raises questions about efforts by Perpetua, which has filed for bankruptcy, to sell Burr Oak as a "working cemetery" that still has room for more graves.



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