Raw Story reports that Kenyon International, hired to retrieve bodies in New Orleans, has been implicated in a body dumping scandal in Florida.
Governor Blanco has signed the contract with Kenyon after talks broke down between Kenyon and FEMA, according to Raw Story.
Louisiana governor Katherine Blanco subsequently inked a contract with the firm after talks between FEMA and the firm broke down. Kenyon’s original deal was secured by the Department of Homeland Security.
In other words, FEMA and then Blanco outsourced the body count from Hurricane Katrina — which many believe the worst natural disaster in U.S. history — to a firm whose parent company is known for its “experience” at hiding and dumping bodies.
The Menorah Gardens cemetery chain, owned by SCI, desecrated vaults, removed hundreds of bodies from two cemeteries in Florida and dumped the gruesome remains in woods frequented by wild hogs, investigators discovered in 2001. In one case, a backhoe was used to crack open a vault, remove corpses and make room for more dead bodies.
SCI paid $100 million to settle a lawsuit filed by outraged family members of the deceased.
A secretary at the lawfirm that sued SCI over the Florida cemetery scandals gasped when informed that FEMA had outsourced handling of Katrina victims’ bodies to an SCI subsidiary.
“Oh, good lord!” she said.
My view is Blanco is completely ignorant of these allegations. FEMA and Chertoff aren’t. Anyone doubt now whether the body count will be skewed?
Update [2005-9-15 9:55:8 by duranta]:this from Bravo4/11: “Malcolm Gillis, who serves on the board of SCI, also serves on the board of Halliburton.”
duranta — I read about this yesterday and was so outraged I could hardly think straight.
This company should be barred from coming anywhere NEAR the hurricaine affected areas by legal injunction, if necessary. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the sleazy deals that are and will be brokered all over the region.
What does Blanco have to say for herself?? Is there an outcry in Baton Rouge?
They sent me on a phone tag to the Division of Administration which, I’m guessing, handles contracts.
The people I spoke to were completely shocked and suprised by this information. I gave them the link to the Raw Story, and urged them to look into this.
They sounded concerned, and tense. They are catching a lot of flack these days, and the problems are obviously piling up.
You ROCK — keep their goddamned feet to the fire!!
NO EXCUSES! We cannot abide any more excuses. Not a one.
Keep us updated on what you find out — if you need others to call, let me know the #s and I’ll get on it! They must NOT be allowed to sweep bodies under the rug. Not one person must go unidentified, not one.
If you have the time, contact your local media about this. Spreading the word will help.
RawStory has this right.
I need to get to work and will do some more research when I get back. Kenyon international is indeed a subsidiary of SCI and SCI has multiple hits on a google news search it’s full name and “body dumping”. There appear to be numerous incidents which have made their way into the courts.
Why are these people still in business? Oh, never mind, rhetorical question….
I read this yesterday and was wild. There will be a massive coverup of just how many dead are left in Katrina’s wake. I expect them to deviously dispose of many bodies, fudge the numbers, then say to the public “See? Not so bad.” Repulsive, disgusting and infuriating.
Saturday, September 10, 2005; Posted: 1:33 a.m. EDT (05:33 GMT)
HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) — At the request of CNN, a federal judge in Texas Friday night blocked emergency officials in New Orleans from preventing the media from covering the recovery of bodies from Hurricane Katrina. Attorneys for the network argued that the ban was an unconstitutional prior restraint on news gathering. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison issued a temporary restraining order against a “zero access” policy announced earlier Friday by Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who is overseeing the federal relief effort in the city, and Terry Ebbert, the city’s homeland security director. A hearing was scheduled for Saturday morning to determine if the order should be made permanent. In explaining the ban, Ebbert said, “we don’t think that’s proper” to let media view the bodies.
full story from CNN
This is good news. I hope CNN and others stay on this.
And yet…
I saw that also. I sent the info on Kenyon to CNN. Let’s see if they have the guts to break this story wide open.
I should have expected this. What they say and what they do are two different animals. I hope CNN has the nerve to stand their ground, but I’m not holding my breath.
The cronism just keeps going on and on doesn’t it???!! But George says he takes full responsiblity on this tragity!!! Lets get the truth out there and this time make it stick!!!!!!!!!!
BTw, they are still recovering live people in New Orleans, even though FEMA as ordered that homes not be broken into to be searched.
Via this Dailykos diary, this man was pulled out by a California rescue team who broke the rules to save him.
Sometimes, mass graves are just not an option.
That’s why folks with a lot of corpses that need to disappear yesterday call Kenyon.
Friendly, sensitive enough to get the job done with the same dignity with which the transition to cadaver was implemented, with prices just as competitive as Halliburton – call Kenyon today!