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Funeral Home To Pay $200K For Missing Cremains

CHICAGO (STMW) - A Cook County judge on Wednesday ordered a South Side funeral home to pay more than $200,000 to a Detroit man who says he has waited more than a year but has still not received his father's cremated remains.

Seals Funeral Home at 8354 S. Marquette Ave. has failed to return the remains of Staysic Armstrong's father since his death on Dec. 31, 2009, according to a release from Staysic's attorney, Trent A. McCain of Merrillville, Ind.

The suit also alleged the funeral home forged an insurance policy document worth $6,328, the release said.

Cook County Judge Charles Winkler awarded Armstrong $206,328 plus attorney's fees, and ordered the funeral home to deliver Armstrong's father's cremains to him by March 16, the release said.

But Clarence Seals of the Seals Funeral Home said Friday the cremains have been waiting for Armstrong at the funeral home, but the Detroit man never came to pick them up.

"I just looked at them five minutes ago. They've been there since February 2010 and nobody's picked them up," Seals said, adding that Armstrong "has some money here too."

Seals said he was unaware of the judge's ruling.

Seals had his funeral director's license revoked in 2000 for failing to pay income taxes, state records show, but Seals said there are other licensed directors at the funeral home.

Armstrong's attorneys were not immediately available for comment.

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