VALDOSTA, GA – The Georgia Board of Funeral Service has concluded the funeral home that prepared Kendrick Johnson’s body did not break any state laws by stuffing his body cavity with newspapers.

The board stated in a letter to the Johnson family that Harrington Funeral Home did not break any state laws. However, the board noted that using newspapers to fill a body cavity is not the “best practice,” according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Roy Copeland, an attorney for the Harrington Funeral Home, said the owners are happy with the regulator’s finding that they did nothing illegal.

Antonio Harrington said he was baffled by the concerns over the handling of Johnson’s body. According to Harrington, 90 percent  of funeral homes use shredded newspaper in embalming procedures. “Shredded paper, cotton, and sawdust are used to restore normalcy to the body. Very few use saw dust. The majority use paper,” said Harrington in an interview with Valdosta Daily Times.

The investigation into Johnson’s death is ongoing. The FBI has been investigating the case.

Source: Valdosta Daily Times