General Discussion

Baitball Blogger

(46,736 posts) Mon Sep 8, 2014, 09:56 AM Sep 2014

Family finds wrong body in casket at viewing in West Palm Beach

Losing a family member is painful enough. Imagine showing up at the funeral home and finding a dead stranger in your loved one's clothing and casket.

Relatives made the heartbreaking discovery about an hour before Mary Anderson’s viewing at Stevens Brothers Funeral Home in West Palm Beach.

When funeral staff opened the casket Friday, Marvelle Freeman was shocked to see a deceased stranger instead of her mother.

“We get here today for her wake, and it's not her,” Freeman said. “They have somebody else in all of her belongings.”

Funeral home employees told relatives that the mix-up happened because another deceased woman shared Anderson’s first name, Freeman said. “Two Marys — both of their names are supposedly Mary,” the grieving daughter said. “It's still no resemblance whatsoever.”

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-family-finds-wrong-body-in-west-palm-beach-casket-20140906,0,7381827.story

21 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Family finds wrong body in casket at viewing in West Palm Beach (Original Post) Baitball Blogger Sep 2014 OP

omg strawberries Sep 2014 #1

Now that's what I call a grave mistake. Orrex Sep 2014 #2

It will be an undertaking to hold the culprits responsible. Baitball Blogger Sep 2014 #3

It's a plot pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #5

. Orrex Sep 2014 #7

You win malaise Sep 2014 #15

Somebody's going to be facing stiff penalties. lpbk2713 Sep 2014 #6

unless they bury the evidence... Phentex Sep 2014 #14

The Funeral Home may be coffin up the dough. Princess Turandot Sep 2014 #18

You mean they'll forfeit their urnings? pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #19

In the wake of this, they may need to rehearse their procedures more often...nt Princess Turandot Sep 2014 #21

lol nt strawberries Sep 2014 #8

I am so going to hell but my first reaction was a horrified giggle riderinthestorm Sep 2014 #4

Yes, you're sick . . . Arkansas Granny Sep 2014 #9

It's not hard for corpses to fit into the same clothes. JVS Sep 2014 #10

Eek! Can't. Unsee. That. Visual.... riderinthestorm Sep 2014 #12

I am surprised it doesn't happen more often. Usually the funeral home doesn't know LiberalArkie Sep 2014 #11

Goodness! Two corpses had the same name (Mary is pretty common) so they WI_DEM Sep 2014 #13

Thank heavens one of them didn't request cremation. Rozlee Sep 2014 #16

Mary is mad as hell,she'll get her revenge Politicalboi Sep 2014 #17

True Funeral Home Story bpj62 Sep 2014 #20

strawberries

(498 posts)

1. omg

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 09:58 AM

Sep 2014

That is terrible.

Orrex

(63,216 posts)

2. Now that's what I call a grave mistake.

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:07 AM

Sep 2014

Baitball Blogger

(46,736 posts)

3. It will be an undertaking to hold the culprits responsible.

Reply to Orrex (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:09 AM

Sep 2014

pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)

5. It's a plot

Reply to Orrex (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:14 AM

Sep 2014

Orrex

(63,216 posts)

7. .

Reply to pinboy3niner (Reply #5)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:19 AM

Sep 2014

Excellent.

malaise

(269,054 posts)

15. You win

Reply to pinboy3niner (Reply #5)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 11:07 AM

Sep 2014

lpbk2713

(42,759 posts)

6. Somebody's going to be facing stiff penalties.

Reply to Orrex (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:18 AM

Sep 2014

Phentex

(16,334 posts)

14. unless they bury the evidence...

Reply to lpbk2713 (Reply #6)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:46 AM

Sep 2014

Princess Turandot

(4,787 posts)

18. The Funeral Home may be coffin up the dough.

Reply to lpbk2713 (Reply #6)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 12:26 PM

Sep 2014

pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)

19. You mean they'll forfeit their urnings?

Reply to Princess Turandot (Reply #18)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 12:33 PM

Sep 2014

Princess Turandot

(4,787 posts)

21. In the wake of this, they may need to rehearse their procedures more often...nt

Reply to pinboy3niner (Reply #19)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 12:42 PM

Sep 2014

strawberries

(498 posts)

8. lol nt

Reply to Orrex (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:20 AM

Sep 2014

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)

4. I am so going to hell but my first reaction was a horrified giggle

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:12 AM

Sep 2014

Followed by sheer wonder that there were two dead Mary's there at the asme time who fit into each other's clothes!

Then I wondered if the funeral home gave them a discount...

I know, I know. I'm sick.

Arkansas Granny

(31,518 posts)

9. Yes, you're sick . . .

Reply to riderinthestorm (Reply #4)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:20 AM

Sep 2014

. . . and that's what we love about you.

JVS

(61,935 posts)

10. It's not hard for corpses to fit into the same clothes.

Reply to riderinthestorm (Reply #4)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:27 AM

Sep 2014

The back of the clothing is cut open and the clothes are placed over the body like a blanket and tucked under.

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)

12. Eek! Can't. Unsee. That. Visual....

Reply to JVS (Reply #10)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:35 AM

Sep 2014

More horrified laughter...

Double spank!

I guess this is just one area I haven't pondered much..

LiberalArkie

(15,719 posts)

11. I am surprised it doesn't happen more often. Usually the funeral home doesn't know

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:32 AM

Sep 2014

one person from the next. I guess a law suit is coming.

WI_DEM

(33,497 posts)

13. Goodness! Two corpses had the same name (Mary is pretty common) so they

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 10:43 AM

Sep 2014

didn't take any precautions to make sure who was the right Mary? Sorry that is no excuse.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)

16. Thank heavens one of them didn't request cremation.

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 11:31 AM

Sep 2014

That would have been awkward.

Politicalboi

(15,189 posts)

17. Mary is mad as hell,she'll get her revenge

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 11:44 AM

Sep 2014

bpj62

(999 posts)

20. True Funeral Home Story

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Original post)

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 12:39 PM

Sep 2014

So my father passes away in 1987 on a Friday and the viewing is on Sunday. At about 12pm we get a call from the funeral home asking if we could bring over a pair of socks for my father. My first reaction in a typical Irish sense of humor was to ask if my fathers feet were cold to which the funeral home director politely stated that is was their custom to put socks on the deceased. I still thought it was funny as hell. Better yet my father was being cremated.

Reply to this discussion