Funeral home returns body

[Nancdaught]

You won't believe this, but it was in our paper. Too long to print all so will do bits.
"Cremation planned for man dumped after funeral went unpaid"

Cremation was expected this week for a central Missouri man whose body was left on his porch after a funeral home went unpaid.

Meanwhile, the funeral home that retured the body of 74-year-old Rober L Holder to his Cross Timbers home is being investigated by the state board that licenses funeral home in Missouri,...
Holder death gained national attention after Hathaway Peterman Funeral Home in Wheatland left his corpse in a white bag on the porch of his home on Oct. 5 after no one paid a $1,200.00 bill for cremation.
...Holder died in his sleep at his home as live-in girlfreind Nancy King sat at his bedside. Soon after a dispute arose among Holder's relatives and King over his estate and how the bill should be paid.
Joyce Hendley ...was identiifed as Holders closest living relative....but she was adopted by another relative when she was 5.
..she wanted to talk to a lawyer before assuming responsibility...The situation ws complicated because she had already planned ot leave Oct 5 on vacation.....Meanwhile, King lawyers advised her she had no legal involvement in the matter. She admitted ..that she and Holder jointly owned three vechiles and a travel trailer but only two were paid for.
Hardley and King said that the funeral home had threatened to return Holder's corpse when neither acepted responsibility for the bill, but neither believed he would do it.
"I'm still in shock", said King who retuurend home from getting a gallon of milk to discover the corpse."...........

[LocaChica]

that is so horrible!!

Can they LEGALLY do something like that? (the funeral home?) sheesh!! very disturbing.

[Brittwoman]

Very disturbing true, but in a way I don't blame the funeral home owner. It's a business, he needs payment to pays his bills, and to support his family. People should not assume this service is a given. I know 1st hand that if you cannot afford the bill they will work with you and let you pay in installments. People in the funeral home business are very compassionate and understanding, but like a said it is a business and they do deserve to get paid!

[snooze14]

OMG! I realize that is a business but think about the damage that could do to a person discovering the dead body. What if a child were to find it? OMG!!!!

I just don't think that it is ethical or professional. The funeral home need to have some way to deal with this problem. I think that the funeral home should get in writing someone who will take responsibility to pay the funeral home prior to the funeral home accepting the body in the first place. That would force someone to take action or leave a dead body in their home.

Maybe the coroner or ambulance or hospital deals with the transporting to the funeral home and etc. I am not sure the chain of custody for dead bodies.

Wow that is a tough one. I would think that the live-in girlfriend would have to take responsibility unless she wants him back......

[Nancdaught]

A funeral home is a business but this is heartless if you ask me.
It also said in the article that:
" Under state regulations, a funeral home is supposed to contact the county coroner if a body is not claimed by a relative.
Peterman did tell the Hermitage Index, a weekly newspaper in Hickory County that he did not consider Holder a indigent because he had contaced Hendley about the situation,and therefore did not believe the regulations applied.
The State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directores was looking into the matter, executive director Pat Handly said. Hataway Peterman Funeral Home could face punishment ranging from a disciplinary letter to revocation of its license if the accusations are true, Handly said."
Well there were true ,he was on the porch ,what if the lady had a heart attack she is eldery too what I heard on the radio.
I still think this is awful.