Family says stranger's body was in mother's casket wearing her clothes at funeral home
A North Carolina funeral home said it has reached out to apologize after two sisters who went to view their mother's body instead found another woman wearing her clothes inside the casket.
Jennifer Taylor and Jennetta Archer had gone to see their mother's body at an Ahoskie funeral home Sept. 7 when they discovered the mistake, WAVY-TV reported.
Sisters Jennifer Taylor and Jennetta Archer lost their mother Mary last month. On the day of her viewing when the pair walked up to Mary’s casket, another woman was inside.https://t.co/EKJivEFiow
— WAVY TV 10 (@WAVY_News) September 23, 2021
Archer said there was no resemblance between their mother and the woman who was in the casket.
"There's no similarity in the person. Their size was way off. When the first person had the clothing on, she was swimming in the clothes because she was so small compared to my mother," Archer told the station.
The sisters approached workers at Hunter's Funeral Home, who at first denied the woman was someone else until they went back into the embalming room and saw the body of Mary Archer. The funeral home switched the bodies and the service continued.
"For this to play out like that, it's just embarrassing," Taylor told the station.
The funeral home said it has reached out to the family to apologize, but Taylor and Archer said they have not received a call from the funeral home and are awaiting answers to their questions. An official was not immediately available for additional comment Thursday.