BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The state Department of Licensing and Whatcom County are investigating a Bellingham funeral home for complaints of improperly storing human remains.

Moles Farewell Tributes and Crematory Center is accused of storing unrefrigerated remains on behalf of the Whatcom County Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner’s Office has been using Moles’ facility to store bodies and perform autopsies since July 2023 while county facilities are renovated.

Department of Licensing spokesperson Christine Anthony told MBN other funeral homes complained they saw six to seven unrefrigerated decedents in the garage at Moles Bayview Chapel on Lakeway Dr. That violates Washington state law, which requires funeral directors to refrigerate or embalm human remains when they receive them.

The state’s formal investigation began on May 17 after the second complaint was made.

Whatcom County spokesperson Jed Holmes says the county is also opening a fact-finding investigation into the complaints, but will not speak about the situation until the investigation is complete.

Moles President John Moles said in a statement that the reports are “grossly incomplete,” and that the responsibility lies with the Medical Examiner’s Office. He claims the Medical Examiner’s Office told him on May 10 that they made arrangements to properly handle the bodies but failed to follow through.

Moles stated that his funeral home couldn’t move the remains without a request from the Medical Examiner, which he says they never made.