A Detroit family says their mother was cremated by mistake after they arrived at Hutchison Funeral Home on East Seven Mile Road for her viewing and found another woman in the casket.
Police attended the funeral home on Friday as relatives gathered and officers blocked the doorway. The family said they were told that Kimberly Moore, aged 61, had already been cremated.
Relatives told local television station FOX 2 Detroit that the woman presented for viewing was wearing clothing and a wig belonging to Moore. They said staff opened the casket after the family challenged the identification, confirming that the body was not their mother.
The family also said they received conflicting explanations about Moore’s whereabouts, with one relative reportedly told she was upstairs before being informed that the funeral home did not have her.
Mario Morrow, a spokesperson for the family, said they wanted the matter resolved and sought answers about what had happened to Moore.
“We know that there was an issue. We know there’s a problem, and we want to make it whole,” Mr Morrow said. “We want to make the family feel comfortable with their loved one and make sure that we have some conclusion to this.”
Moore’s funeral was due to take place on Saturday, but relatives were still trying to determine how the service could proceed. They were also attempting to contact the family of the woman whose body they were shown.
Police are investigating. Hutchison Funeral Home initially declined to comment but later involved a public relations firm and said it hoped to explain the circumstances.
