Suspect sought in theft of Rockford funeral home van with body inside is arrested in Green Bay

A Rockford-area man charged with abuse of a corpse for allegedly stealing a funeral home van containing a body that was later found dumped on a Chicago street has been arrested in Wisconsin.

Deon Howard, 23, also faces a charge of unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle. He was arrested Sunday in Green Bay, according to Rockford police.

The van belonging to Collins & Stone Funeral Home was stolen Jan. 21 with the body of Curtis Brown, 47, inside. Chicago police found the van the next day without the body.

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Brown’s body was recovered Jan. 23 behind a vacant home on Chicago’s South Side, Rockford police said.

The body was returned to Rockford by the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office. Brown’s family had planned to send his body to Mississippi, where he grew up, for burial.

In 2021, Brandy Collins, director of the funeral home, was placed on probation for two years and fined $10,000 for “unprofessional conduct, failure to account for personal property and aiding and assisting unlicensed practice,” according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Collins & Stone hasn’t responded to repeated requests for comment. Brown’s family has said they were exploring their legal options.