'Like a Horror Story': Woman's Body Mistakenly Cremated

Family says funeral home then presented 2 different bodies as Sandra Bennett
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 17, 2018 12:37 PM CST
Funeral Home May Have Mixed Up 3 Bodies
Stock image   (Getty Images/kzenon)

The first body the funeral home showed them wasn't Sandra Bennett. Neither was the second. CBC reports a Canadian funeral home is under investigation after Bennett's family says it mistakenly cremated her body after she died in December at the age of 65 and then presented two other bodies as their loved one. During Bennett's visitation a week after her death, Bennett's husband pointed out that the body being displayed at Serenity Funeral Home in Novia Scotia wasn't his late wife. Bennett's sister says staff were adamant the body belonged to Bennett before eventually relenting and bringing in a second body, according to the Canadian Press. The second body, while dressed in Bennett's clothes, was also not Bennett.

Bennett's family says the funeral home finally admitted to accidentally cremating Bennett's body. They say the whole thing has been "just like a horror story." Serenity owner Anthony Facey isn't commenting, but a lawyer says the funeral home "takes this matter very seriously." Adam Tipert, chairperson of the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, tells CBC the situation is "definitely very concerning." He says the funeral home only admitted to two bodies being involved, not three, and the board needs to "find out exactly what is going on." A section on the Serenity Funeral Home website reads: "There are labels that are used to make sure it is next to impossible to receive the incorrect remains." (More funeral home stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X