DOUGLAS, Ga. (WALB) - The owner of Johnson Funeral Home and Cremations is now facing 38 additional counts on multiple charges after 18 decomposed bodies were found inside the funeral home during an eviction.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has filed additional charges against the owner, Chris Johnson, as part of the ongoing case.

As WALB previously reported in January 2025, Johnson was indicted on 62 counts, including 17 counts of abuse of a dead body, 17 counts of abandonment of a dead body, 18 counts of theft by deception, 9 counts of violation of vital records, and 1 count of insurance fraud.

Now, Johnson faces an additional 38 counts on several new charges. Those charges include:

• One count of Violation of Vital Records Registration
• One count of Felony Theft by Taking
• Seven counts of Misdemeanor Theft by Taking
• Three counts of Felony Theft by Deception
• Thirteen counts of Misdemeanor Theft by Deception
• Thirteen counts of First-Degree Forgery

This case began on October 26, 2024, when deputies discovered 18 bodies, along with two pets — a dog and a cat — in various states of decomposition at Johnson Funeral Home during an eviction.

All the remains have since been identified, and the families have been notified.

Throughout the investigation, investigators also uncovered irregularities involving insurance fraud, falsified records, and mishandling of cremains, according to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).

An additional arrest in this case was made in December 2024. James A. Sirmans, 52, of Fitzgerald, was arrested and charged with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Officials say once the investigation is over, the case will be turned over to the Waycross Judicial Circuit for prosecution.

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