Last month, the Nevada State Funeral Board director visited a mortuary, only to encounter bodies stacked atop one another, sheeting soaked with blood, and a corpse stored outside of refrigeration, warm to the touch.

The Henderson mortuary, Hites Funeral Home and Cremation Service, had been on the board’s radar for years before the gruesome discovery. But, as is relatively common for board cases, it hadn’t faced very harsh penalties for violating state law — that is, until Tuesday. And Hites’ involvement in the city was far-reaching: The funeral home hadn’t just worked with private families opting to use their care, but had public contracts with Clark County.

As early as 2019, the board was aware of serious concerns about Hites. Hites had mistreated indigent decedents, the board had concluded: The mortuary had mishandled bodies whose dispositions were paid for by Clark County Social Services. The county pays for the