Swansea man accused of abusing corpse, attorney asks for funeral home security video
Recent court filings indicate that video evidence is part of a St. Clair County Circuit Court case against a former Belleville funeral-home employee accused of abusing a corpse.
The state’s attorneys office charged Randy L. Willard, 65, of Swansea, with abuse of a corpse through sexual conduct, a Class 2 felony, in August. He was released on a $50,000 bond and later pleaded not guilty.
The case involves the body of a deceased man whose arrangements were handled by Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home in unincorporated Belleville.
“Defendant placed his hand on the penis of (the man) for the purpose of sexual gratification or arousal of the defendant, ” according to the Aug. 18 charging document.
The BND isn’t naming the man due to the case’s sensitive nature. His family didn’t respond to a request for information.
The case was brought to the state’s attorney’s office by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. Its full report can’t be released due to ongoing litigation, according to Master Sgt. Adam Quirin.
“(The funeral home) contacted us for an investigation with some information they had received internally,” he said. “We investigated it. We took the facts to the state’s attorney’s office, and one charge was issued.”
Willard declined comment, as did his Belleville attorney, John Baricevic.
Defense motions for discovery in early December asked prosecutors to provide video footage that they plan to submit as evidence at trial, in addition to how many cameras were functioning at the time of the alleged crime and who had access to the recordings.
A funeral home employee who answered a BND call last week declined comment, referring questions to a media contact for Dignity Memorial, the Texas-based company that owns Valhalla and about 1,900 other funeral homes and cemeteries in the United States and Canada.
“We pride ourselves on serving families with the utmost care and compassion and value our role in the local community,” according to a statement emailed by Dignity spokesman Chris James.
“The individual in question is no longer employed by our company, and out of respect for the privacy and confidentiality of the family involved, we are unable to discuss this matter with the media. However, we have fully cooperated with law enforcement and will continue to do so.”
Valhalla is at 3412 Frank Scott Parkway West in Belleville. Its 67-acre cemetery is known for its veterans pool, Avenue of Flags and silent Memorial Day service each year.
Conviction of a Class 2 felony in Illinois can result in three to seven years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.
This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Swansea man accused of abusing corpse, attorney asks for funeral home security video."
