Larry Wilder Files Class-Action Lawsuit in Jeffersonville Funeral Home Scandal

In July 2022, Jeffersonville attorney Larry Wilder filed a class-action lawsuit against Lankford Funeral Home after investigators discovered 31 decomposing bodies and multiple unidentified cremated remains inside the facility. The case drew widespread outrage as grieving families learned their loved ones had not been cared for with dignity or honesty.

Wilder first took on the case after being contacted by the family of Nicole Lorey, who died in June 2022 but was later identified as one of the bodies found inside the funeral home. He then began representing additional families, including that of Roger Kessinger, whose relatives were misled about the handling of his remains. In some cases, families were told ashes had been delivered when, in reality, their loved ones’ bodies were still at the funeral home.

“These are poor people who don’t have the assets or seek out the best services, and they were taken advantage of,” Wilder said, describing the betrayal faced by families who believed they had provided their loved ones with a proper farewell. “I’m seeing a lot of that feeling that I failed my brother, I failed my husband, I failed my child, because the last thing I could do for them was provide for them that dignity.”

The lawsuit, filed in Clark County, seeks damages for emotional trauma, mental distress, and the profound loss experienced by families denied a proper burial process. Wilder emphasized that this case is about more than financial restitution—it is about holding those responsible accountable for the pain they inflicted and ensuring vulnerable families are not exploited in their time of grief.

By leading the class-action lawsuit, Wilder gave a voice to families devastated by the scandal, framing the issue not only as one of fraud but as a fundamental violation of human dignity. His legal action seeks to bring accountability, justice, and some measure of closure to those affected by one of Southern Indiana’s most shocking funeral home cases.