Court Rules on Dispute Over Body Stored in Funeral Home for Over a Year

A family dispute over the remains of John Thomas Morgan has continued for more than 12 months, with the body stored in refrigeration at a funeral home. The wife has sought to prevent cremation and requested transfer to a coroner's facility for examination.

The couple's children have asked the court to allow cremation in line with their father's stated wishes. The court heard that John Morgan died on April 17, 2025, after a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia earlier that year.

The wife has accused a hospital of causing the death and covering it up. She has also claimed that the will was forged by their daughter. The court was told that the state coroner had already declined to investigate the circumstances of the death. Four days after the death, family members began funeral arrangements at a location on the Central Coast.

In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, the judge found that claims of intentional killing at the hospital were not supported by medical or scientific evidence. The judge stated there was no real prospect of an inquest being held. The judge ordered that the daughter be appointed administrator of the estate and that legal costs be paid from the estate.

The body remains at Creightons Funeral Service in Palmdale, where daily storage fees apply.