USA: Guards arrested for giving fake ashes to families of dead
- Brendan Drennan
- BBC News, Washington
The owners of a funeral home in the US state of Colorado have been accused of providing wrongly cremated remains of their loved ones to some families of the deceased.
At a funeral home in Oklahoma, 190 decomposing corpses, some from 2019, were discovered last month.
Kerry and John Holford were arrested and charged with abuse and theft of corpses, money laundering and counterfeiting.
Authorities began investigating in early October after neighbors reported a foul smell coming from the funeral home.
Investigators found “disgusting conditions” and years-old stacked bodies.
District Attorney Michael Allen told reporters he would not release many details because the investigation is ongoing, calling the case “absolutely shocking.”
Some relatives are believed to have received fake ashes of their loved ones.
According to court documents obtained by The Associated Press (AP), “it is now known that the remains received by the families are not those of their loved ones.”
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) requested samples of the ashes from the family for analysis.
“We will never know what our family members have become.” Some of them may be concrete rubble or something else.
“I can’t even begin to describe what our families are going through,” Christina Page, the boy’s mother, who was among those at the funeral, told CBS.
The Holford couple are in jail with bail set at less than two million euros.
They face around 190 cases of abuse of corpses, five cases of theft, four cases of money laundering and over 50 cases of forgery.
All of the remains found at the funeral home in Colorado are now in the El Paso County Mortuary.
Fairmont County Coroner Randy Keller said 110 bodies have been successfully identified, but identification of the remaining 80 remains is ongoing.
He explained that bodies are being identified through fingerprints, teeth and DNA testing “if required”.
“I am happy that a criminal complaint has been filed against The Undertaker.
“I know this brings no peace to the families affected by this shocking incident, but we hope those responsible are brought to justice,” Colorado Governor Jared Police said in a statement after Undertaker’s arrest.
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