Officials: Funeral home in Trenton was overwhelmed with bodies

Police were dispatched to a funeral home in Trenton on Thursday night after officials received a report that 18 bodies of people who had died as a result of complications from COVID-19 were scattered throughout the building.

New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan said Friday that 11 bodies were removed from Anderson Funeral Service on North Willow Street. Seven bodies were left at the funeral home because the funerals will be held in the next three days.

Callahan said the New Jersey State Police, Trenton Police, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office were among the agencies responding, and found no criminal wrongdoing by the funeral home.

“Eleven bodies were transferred to the central temporary morgue site,” Callahan said. “Anderson had previously used the site. They did know it was there. This was simply a case where they just got overwhelmed.”

As of Friday, 239 residents of the county had died as a result of complications from COVID-19, while a total of 4,077 cases had been confirmed. Unlike many other counties, Mercer County is not providing a breakdown of deaths by municipality. It is unclear why. Some municipalities are releasing data about deaths. According to the City of Trenton’s website, 18 residents of the city have died as a result of COVID-19 complications, and 1,343 cases have been confirmed. In neighboring Hamilton, 65 residents had died as a result of complications from COVID-19 as of Friday, and 888 cases had been confirmed.