Funeral director offers free burial for forgotten woman

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A Shelbyville funeral director is offering to bury an 81-year-old woman who died in 2008 and was never placed in her plot .

"When I first heard about it, I felt a lot of sorrow, "said Greg Parks, owner of Murphy Parks Funeral Home.

Pauline Keller’s body now sits in the Marion County’s Corners Office. She paid for her funeral in full in 2008. But her body was found inside a casket in a vacant building at 23rd and Meridian streets on Tuesday.

Her guardian U.Z. Tinker said Keller was a sweet woman who had no living family members.

According to Tinker and Keller’s death certificate, former funeral director Marvin Boatright was hired to conduct the services and burial. Tinker said Boatright did the service and ensured him he would complete the burial. But apparently, that didn’t happen.

When news of Keller's story broke, Parks offered to bury the 81-year-old free.

Boatright has not returned repeated messages from 24-Hour News 8, nor has he given an explanation on why Keller was never buried.

Tinker said he hasn't heard from Boatright since the shocking discovery, but he is grateful for Parks’ offer to help.

"It came out of the blue. I was really surprised," Tinker said. "I'm very glad to hear that."

Boatright lost his license in 2008 amid many accusations against him. He was then investigated after unidentified cremains were found in his building in June 2009 , and an infant's body was found in a trash container near his business.

A jury found Boatright guilty of forgery but couldn’t reach a verdict for 13 other charges against him. He was ordered to serve two months of community service.