HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Singer-Kader-Neff Funeral Home and Cremation Services, located at 135 W. Main Street, Howard, is facing criminal and civil liability over allegations the business had mistreated several bodies in their care.

HOWARD — In a lawsuit filed Thursday, a Huntingdon County woman alleged a local funeral home allowed her 92-year-old mother’s body to decompose for six weeks instead of being cremated.

In the lawsuit, Sherry Cramer, of Pennsylvania Furnace, accuses Singer-Kader-Neff Funeral Home and Cremation Services, located at 135 W. Main Street, in Howard, of gross negligence in handling her mother, Joan E. Donley’s, remains and asserts that other corpses may have suffered similar mistreatment.

The lawsuit describes the funeral home’s actions as “extreme and outrageous,” alleging they “went beyond all possible bounds of decency.”

The funeral home, which Google search results indicate is temporarily closed, was formerly known as Kader-Neff Funeral Home until Garrett A. Singer took over ownership in July 2023. Funeral Director Garrett Singer, of Tyrone, is named as the defendant, as the owner and operator at all relevant times. He is represented by James L. Kutz, Esquire.

The lawsuit, filed in the Court of Common Pleas, demands a jury trial and seeks monetary damages outside the limits of arbitration, according to court filings.

Cramer, the executrix of the Estate of Joan E. Donley, is represented by Louis T. Glantz, Esquire, of Glantz, Johnson and Associates, 1901 E. College Ave., State College, and Sauder Schelkopf Attorneys at Law, 1109 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn.

Joe Sauder, an attorney representing Cramer, said in a statement to The Express, “Families trust funeral homes to treat their loved ones with dignity and respect. The allegations in this case are deeply troubling, and our client is seeking accountability for the extreme distress and suffering caused by the defendants’ actions.”

On Nov. 11, 2024, Joan E. Donley passed away peacefully at her residence in Pennsylvania Furnance. According to the complaint, her daughter engaged the services of the funeral home for the transportation, cremation and procurement of a death certificate. Immediately after initial contact, the Howard funeral home took custody of Donley’s body but did not require her daughter to sign any paperwork or make payment at that time.

Cramer repeatedly contacted Singer-Kader-Neff inquiring about the cremation, death certificates and retrieval of her mother’s ashes, but received no clear response and never received the remains, the lawsuit alleges.

On one occasion, the funeral home informed Cramer the coroner was in possession of her mothers body; on another, the defendants claimed to have the ashes.

Singer-Kader-Neff allegedly cited an unspecified issue with the death certificate, but gave no indication that there were any problems with the remains themselves.

On Dec. 19, 2024, Cramer learned that state police and the coroner’s office had visited the funeral home in response to numerous complaints about missing death certificates.

“Upon further inquiry, (Cramer) discovered that her mother’s remains had not been cremated and had, in fact, been left in the funeral home for six weeks without refrigeration or proper storage,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleged Donley’s body was found on a table, unembalmed, in an advanced state of decomposition.

Although Cramer was initially informed the remains could not be identified because of the advanced stage of decay, investigators later determined identification was possible through a hip replacement tag/ID number and dental records, which confirmed the remains were her mother’s.

Investigators also indicated they discovered additional bodies at the funeral home that may have been improperly handled, though they did not specify the condition or number of other corpses found.

Funeral directors are responsible for compliance with legal, ethical and professional standards in the handling of human remains.

The lawsuit alleges that Cramer endured “significant and severe emotional distress,” which caused ongoing physical and mental symptoms, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, anger, shame, guilt and severe stress.

Cramer is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the funeral home, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs and any other relief the court deems just and proper, or that she may be entitled to as a matter of law, for negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence, interference with a corpse and breach of contract.

“The civil lawsuit is a series of allegations — and that’s what they are, allegations,” said Jim Kutz, attorney for Singer in the civil matter, noting that claims made in lawsuits are not necessarily established facts.

“Admittedly, there were some difficulties and some delays caused by a host of issues, many of which were beyond the control of my client,” the attorney said. “For any delay, it certainly was not willful, intentional or malicious.”

In a statement, the Centre County District Attorney’s Office said it would pursue criminal charges.

“State police have completed an investigation into allegations of abuse of a corpse by Garrett Singer. Those charges have been approved by the Centre County District Attorney’s Office and are expected to be filed this coming week.”