The Walker County coroner in 1995 filed a complaint against Tri-State Crematory, where scores of bodies have been found. But the complaint was dismissed in court.
"I filed it because it wasn't licensed and it wasn't legal. They were not following the law," then-coroner Bill McGill said.
Mr. McGill is now retired and lives at Kensington, Ga., in Walker County.
Mr. McGill, who was coroner for 27 years, said he didn't visit the crematory at the community of Noble.
He said he lodged his complaint with the state examining board for funeral homes. At that time, Ray Marsh was in charge of the operation.
The board asked a judge for a cease-and-desist order, and a hearing was set for mid-1996. However, attorneys for the Marshes from Duluth argued that the facility did not come within the law because the facility was not open to the public and Ray Marsh was not a licensed funeral director.
The case was then dropped by state attorneys representing the examining board.
During that case, Ray Marsh filed an affidavit saying he was properly operating the crematory equipment and no health or safety issue was involved.
According to Georgia law, crematories are supposed to have:
A room with seating for at least 30 people where funeral services are conducted
A display room with at least four urns
One operable motor hearse
One operable retort for cremation
One church truck
Current crematory license on display.