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Topics: US News
Brenna Cooper
A family in the US have filed a lawsuit claiming a funeral home had dressed the wrong body and placed it in the casket of their loved one.
When 81-year-old Addison Jenkins died in February 2023, his family began the process of having him laid to rest. However, when his widow and children approached the casket to pay their final respects, they were horrified and devastated to see the face of a man they didn't recognise in Addison's clothing.
Addison's relatives had informed the staff at Boyd Funeral Home, New Jersey about the apparent mix-up, but have since claimed that staff had reassured the family the body was, in-fact, that of their loved one and alleged they ignored their concerns.
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The family have since filed a lawsuit with the New Jersey Superior Court, which claims the family had visited the funeral home on 17 February (a day before the service was scheduled to take place) for a viewing and were 'distressed' upon seeing the body of a man they didn't recognise in his casket.
"At or around 4pm on February 17th, plaintiffs [the Jenkins family] approached the casket supposedly holding Addison and became immediately distressed and angered when they saw another unrecognisable corpse dressed in Addison's clothes and belongings," the complaint alleges.
"The Plaintiffs were shocked, upset, confused and full of tears."
The complaint then goes on to state the Jenkins family approached staff at Boyd Funeral Home to notify them of the situation, to which they were informed that the funeral director wasn't available. However, they claim another employee at the home showed them a text from the director, which stated the body was in-fact Addison.
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A make-up artist from the funeral home would also reach out to reassure the family that the body belonged to their loved one; something which they continued to dispute, highlighting the fact that the body did not feature a 'cauliflower ear' and a foot infection which would be present on the body of Addison.
A day later when the public viewing of Addison's body was set to happen, the family requested the funeral director to open the casket once again - but this time, they found the correct body to be present.
Addison's family have opted to file a lawsuit against Boyd Funeral Home, claiming 'severe emotional distress' and mishandling of human remains. The family are requesting a trial by jury as well as compensation from the funeral home.
"What happened to the Jenkins family and their late loved one, Addison Jenkins, is disturbing and reprehensible," Michael Shaw, the attorney representing the family, said in a statement issued to PEOPLE.
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"To twist the knife, once the Jenkins family informed the funeral home of the wrongful conduct, the callous response was to point blame at my clients by persistently telling them that the wrong and unidentified body was their late loved one.
"Gaslighting a grieving family after displaying the wrong corpse is cruel and ignoble."
LADbible group has approached Boyd Funeral Home for comment.