Trial for Pocatello funeral home owner vacated as civil suits continue to pile
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POCATELLO — A jury trial for the owner of Downard Funeral Home — where decomposing bodies were discovered just over two years ago — has been vacated.
Lance Robert Peck, 48, faces 63 misdemeanor charges — 60 counts of unprofessional conduct by a mortician and three counts of petty theft. He had been scheduled for jury trial before Magistrate Judge Aaron Thompson on Oct. 16, but following Monday’s pre-trial conference, that trial has been vacated.
RELATED | What we know about Downard Funeral Home, Lance Peck and what’s next in the case
Officials served a search warrant at Downard Funeral Home — and the attached Portneuf Valley Crematory — on Sept. 3, 2021 after Police officers responding to calls reporting “suspicious circumstances” at the funeral home saw a decomposing body inside the business.
During the search, officials found 12 unidentified and decomposing bodies and 61 fetuses.
All 12 bodies have since been identified, but numerous former Downard customers have expressed concern over the remains they received — read some of those stories here and here.
Court proceedings regarding the misdemeanor charges continue to be delayed as the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office works toward filing felony charges.
Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Herzog told EastIdahoNews.com several months ago that his office does intend to file felony charges. However, due to the lack of existing case law, that process has been slowed.
It’s not clear what’s next for the criminal proceedings. A new trial date has not yet been set.
While that legal battle has been delayed, civil complaints against Peck and his businesses continued to pour in.
With a new civil suit filed Sept. 6, Peck and Downard are now named as defendants in 13 lawsuits.
No trial dates have been set for those civil proceedings.
RELATED | Lance Peck trial date set; lawsuits filed by two affected families