Investigation of cremains continues
(Archived article @ Newsbank)
Chris Cooper ~ News-Democrat & Leader (Russellville, Logan County, KY) ~ 1/13/2006
Logan County Coroner Jackie Dunlap is asking anyone who had a family member cremated at Memorial Funeral Home and didn't pick up their cremains to contact him through the Logan County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 726-4911.
Dunlap, who is helping in the investigation that is being conducted by the Attorney General's Office concerning funeral home owner Tim Hanna, says there are two unidentified cremated bodies, and he wants to find who they belong to.
Hanna and his business became front page news in early October of last year when he was arrested by the Kentucky State Police and charged with two counts of theft by deception over $300.
Hanna allegedly was withdrawing money from the Federal Trust Fund of Kentucky. People paid Hanna for prearranged costs for their funeral, which he was supposed to deposit into this 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cases all or part of the money was deposited, but fake death notices were sent to the funeral fund for the money to be withdrawn. People who are alive and well have found out that they are dead in the eyes of the funeral fund, their money gone.
During beginning investigations, authorities obtained a search warrant for the funeral home and located two boxes of cremains. One was marked with a name and one with an identification number, which matched a number at the crematorium where Hanna did business.
The one that held the name was thought to have been buried almost a year prior and the family of the one that held the matching number said they had already received their loved one's ashes.
Dunlap and authorities exhumed the body of the individual whose name appeared on the box of cremains, thinking that they would find an empty box; however, the grave held a box full of ashes as well, now unidentified.
Dunlap says he believes one of the three sets of cremains belongs to the individual whose name appears; however, he has no idea whose ashes the other two are.
Logan County Sheriff Wallace Whittaker talked with Hanna the last week in December. Whittaker asked Hanna whose cremains were left in the funeral home. Whittaker said Hanna told him four names the cremains could possibly belong to. Coroner Dunlap said he contacted all four families and they informed him they had received their loved one's cremains already.
Dunlap delivered the two sets of cremains to Dr. Emily Craig, a forensic anthropologist who works at the state medical examiner's office in Frankfort. Dunlap said Craig reported the cremains were ground so fine that it was almost impossible to obtain any information about the individuals. He said Craig told him that sometimes a bone or teeth fragments can be found through which identification can be made.
Dunlap said the cremation process is different than it used to be in the past. He said now, when a body is cremated it is also ground up afterward to insure there is nothing but ashes left. According to Dunlap, DNA cannot be extracted from cremains.
“This is a moral issue now,” said Sheriff Whittaker., “We may never know who they are.”
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected.
Showing posts with label Forensic Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forensic Science. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Mishandled Remains Found at Memorial Funeral Home Leads to Grave Opening
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.
(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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)