Grave reopened after ashes found at Memorial Funeral Home
(Archived article @ Newsbank)
Chris Cooper ~ News-Democrat & Leader (Russellville, Logan County, KY) ~ 12/5/2005
The investigation into Memorial Funeral Home owner Tim Hanna has recently uncovered evidence of possible violations pertaining to the remains of three individuals whose cremated ashes were discovered recently.
While the funeral home was being searched, two individuals' cremated ashes were found, but only one had identification on the container. Unfortunately, the identified individual was thought to have been buried on Dec. 4, 2004 in Maple Grove Cemetery.
Because of the ongoing investigation the individual's name is not being published at this time. According to Logan County Coroner Jackie Dunlap, one of the remains of the unidentified individuals date back to 1996 (it should be noted that Russellville's News-Democrat Leader reported in October 2005 that the Hannas purchased Memorial Funeral Home in 1998). Dunlap said he has contacted both Commonwealth Attorney Charles Orange and the investigation's lead detective (Childers).
On Thursday, Dunlap and Russellville Sexton Kenny Gregory were present when the identified individual's remains were exhumed in Maple Grove Cemetery. It was suspected that the box which was supposed to have held the remains would be empty, but to Dunlap's astonishment the box was full.
Dunlap says he doesn't know what will happen now. He said this makes three remains that truly no one knows at this time who they are. According to Dunlap, DNA cannot be extracted from ashes.
Hanna was arrested in October by the Kentucky State Police and charged with two counts of theft by deception over $300. He allegedly was withdrawing money from the Funeral Trust Fund of Kentucky.
People paid Hanna for prearranged costs of their funeral, which he was supposed to deposit into the fund. In some cases, allegedly, the money never made it into the fund. In other cases, all or part of the money was deposited, but fake death notices were sent to the funeral fund for the money to be withdrawn.
N-D&L reporter Becky Coursey covered the arrest and reported that people who were alive and perfectly well have found out that they are dead in the eyes of the funeral fund and their money gone. Additional charges are expected.
