Bodies Mix-up: Widow's Distress over Ashes Jewelry
March 17, 24
(IDEX Online) - A widow who believed she had diamond jewelry made from her husband's ashes has now learned that his body was among 35 recovered from a funeral home in England.
A friend of the unnamed woman said she was distraught, and that eight months after her husband's death she was grieving all over again.
Police in Hull, East Yorkshire, are carrying out a major investigation, involving 120 officers, at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.
The have arrested two people following reports of "concern for the care of the deceased".
Officers recovered 35 bodies, as yet not formally identified, and a quantity of what they believe to be human ashes.
The widow paid to have her husband's ashes turned into jewelry for herself, her daughter and her grand-daughter.
"But now they have found out that he wasn't cremated and he has been in the freezer all this time," a friend told The Telegraph.
Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin told a press conference: "I recognise this is a distressing time for all those affected and I have no doubt it will have a significant impact across all our local communities and beyond.
"However, this is an incredibly lengthy investigation and a highly intricate one at that, with many lines of inquiry."
Pic of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors courtesy Google Street View