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Burial mix up angers family
Remains of different woman buried in funeral ceremony exhumed after mishap discovered.
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Wednesday, May 02, 2007
HAMILTON — The family of Deborah Reed, the Hamilton woman killed in a fire Friday morning, laid her to rest in Greenwood Cemetery Tuesday afternoon.
Or at least that is what they thought.
After a funeral ceremony Tuesday afternoon, the family of Deborah Reed discovered the wrong body was placed in the grave at Greenwood Cemetery. It has since been emptied.But Tuesday night, the grieving family spoke out in frustration and anger after discovering the body buried in their mother's grave was not the 52-year-old woman who died last week in a Hampshire Drive blaze.
"I did not bury my mother today. It was someone else," Reed's son, Brian Winkle, said Tuesday night at the cemetery. "I came back here and they were digging up the casket."
Butler County Coroner Dr. Richard Burkhardt Tuesday night confirmed the wrong body was buried in Reed's grave. He said he is investigating to determine how the mishap occurred.
"Nothing bad has happened to Debbie Reed," Burkhardt said. "She is still at the morgue."
He said the person buried in Reed's coffin was a 23-year-old woman. The woman who was buried has been identified as Paula Webb, who died Saturday, according to Local 12 WKRC.
"We must have released the wrong body. But I haven't gotten far enough into it to find out how," Burkhardt said.
The mistake was discovered about three hours after Reed's burial and Burkhardt told his office to exhume the body.
"It is my responsibility as the coroner, but there may be some fault on the part of the funeral director," Burkhardt said. "This has never happened in my 27 years as coroner, that I know of."
Winkle said a family member received a call from a friend in a house that faces the cemetery. The friend said Reed's body was being exhumed by detectives and the coroner's office.
"I came out here and asked a couple of people who work for the cemetery. They were covering up the hole," Winkle said. "One of them finally told me apparently the woman buried wasn't my mother."
Reed's daughter, Tracy Winkle, doubts the family would have known if not for the friend's call.
"I think they would have just switched the bodies and never told anyone," Tracy Winkle said.
Brian Winkle said he talked to funeral director Tom Zettler — who took care of the services — and he confirmed the mix up.
Zettler did not return a call seeking comment Tuesday night.
Reed died of thermal injuries. The family did not look at her body before burial.
Brian Winkle said obviously no one else did either.
Tracy Winkle sobbed near the empty grave Tuesday night.
"I think this is worse than hearing she passed away," she said.
Reed's burial was paid for by the city, but the family did rent the chapel for a short service and offered prayer at the grave side. They believe if Reed's funeral had been an elaborate one paid for by the family, perhaps more care would have been taken by all those involved.
"People put items on the casket. I touched the casket and said goodbye. It wasn't even her," Tracy Winkle said wiping away tears.
Her brother said, "my 4-year-old daughter put a teddy bear on the grave for her grandmother. How do I explain? We are going to have to do it again."
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2841 or lpack@coxohio.com.
Comments
By Mark Greenwood
May 4, 2007 2:33 AM | Link to this
Yes - it’s unfortunate this thing that the families of both Deborah Reed and Paula Webb have experienced. Losing a loved one is a great tragedy. No - it’s not cool to toss around insult and harsh criticism to a Coroner (whose job most Americans couldn’t stomach for a day). The Coroner made a mistake. Forgiveness is more noble a trait than the judgment so many have thrown here. Picture a loved one of yours as the Coroner in this story - how harsh would you be then? We all make mistakes…
By Fancy
May 4, 2007 2:08 AM | Link to this
Frist I want to say Prayers goes out to both families throught this. I went to school with Paula Webb she was a Great Girl who cared about people.And I agree With Shannon French Webb’s Family is also going through this. The media need to have respect for her And her Family just the same for the Reed family.The funeral home should have LOOKED to make sure they had the right body.It was both places mistakes and they should have to pay for it.These Families not only have to deal with it 1,but 2
By angie
May 3, 2007 4:43 PM | Link to this
My heart and prayers go out to your whole family. What your family is going through right now is very tramatic. Who is resposible for the “mix-up” should be punished. Regardless of what arrangments were made, it should have been proper no matter what circumstances. There is nothing no one can say or do to make anything better, but there are others here to support you.
By Chameka
May 3, 2007 9:09 AM | Link to this
First of all my condolences to the family. Second of all there is NO excuse for the mix up. They should have just knew. Obviously they didn’t look to make sure!! I can understand why you would be upset. How yall gonna be around praying at the grave site and its not even her, and then the grandchildren were there too. The young ones, that is so sad. Something should be happening to the person who mixed them up because i would have been hurt and probably went off!!
By brian winkle
May 3, 2007 3:00 AM | Link to this
this is a terrible thing to have happen to me and my sister on top of losing our mother. but as many of you from the area can recall that the coroner seemed to know alot about my mother saturday after the fire to get his name on the front page of the news paper but did not know enough to make sure i laid my mother in her finall resting place……….rest in peace finally mom, grandma….we all miss and love you
By Sharon
May 3, 2007 12:29 AM | Link to this
The death of a loved one is very traumatic no matter what the circumstances. I see a total lack of respect for the deceased and her family. The family should have been notified of the mistake and informed that the body would be exhumed before the first shovel of dirt was moved. Mistakes happen. It doesn’t make any difference who paid for the funeral or how much it cost. It is about respecting each other as human beings.
By David Jaworski
May 3, 2007 12:20 AM | Link to this
I wish to rebut the statement about Dr. Burkhardt having no heart nor compassion. i have had the honors of meeting Dr Burkhardt in 1985 when my Grandfather passed away.I walked into his office with no appt and he sat me down and talked to me for over 2 hours explaining to me how my grandfather had passed so i think before you critisize the man for doing his job get to know who he acutually is…
By David Jaworski
May 3, 2007 12:11 AM | Link to this
Ya know i feel this way about it , yes there were mistakes made on behalf of Dr Burkhardts office and that of the Zettlers but to stand back and bash Dr. Burkhardt is a crime within itself. My Grandfather died in January of 1985. i couldn’t understand what took him from us so suddenly. I went and met with Dr. Burkhardt and he actually took the time to explain to me as compassionately as humanly possible. so before you judge the man understand him first. He has seen a lifetime full of death….
By Maria Gamble
May 2, 2007 10:08 PM | Link to this
I live where the fire happened. I was there the day it all took place. I also was a friend of Debbie’s She was a wonderful person whom passed away to soon in life. I think the fact they had the wrong body just adds to the drama. She should have been put to rest the right way the first time. I am so mad at the fact that just because the family didn’t pay for things that she got the shaft on things.
By Letty Roosa
May 2, 2007 8:27 PM | Link to this
just because Debbie’s funeral was paid for with government funds, doesn’t mean that the family shouldn’t have been treated with more respect and compassion. It only means that she was not as privileged as others that can pay for their own service, but SHE was someone’s Mom, Grandmother and sister and they all loved her and deserve the same respect from the Coronors office and the funeral home as any other family that is going thru the loss of a loved one. Who is paying doesn’t matter…
By shannon french
May 2, 2007 7:09 PM | Link to this
i knew paula webb and her family for a long time and as it is very devastating to the other family, the only thing in the news about the webb family is that the ‘other woman’ was paula webb. her family is also going through a terrible ordeal and i feel the media has only focused on the other family and they should show some respect for the webb family also!!!!
By debbie
May 2, 2007 7:08 PM | Link to this
I think it’s a terrible thing to happen. They think they are grieving and burying their loved one and it turns out to be someone else!!!!!!! I think there should be apologies made to both families involved in this bizarre episode. My heart goes out to both families as I knew Debbie through where I work. It’s a very sad thing. Let the blame lie where it may and let both of these ladies rest in peace…..They deserve it.
By Charon
May 2, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this
I have had the sincere displeasure of seeing “Dr.” Burkhardt at work. It is no wonder he works with the dead; because he has no bedside manner or sympathy. He has no tact and he is vulgar. I would not trust him to do an autopsy on a worm. As I gather from the article, the only thing he has mastered is how to defer blame. It is time to step down Burkhardt.
By sarah
May 2, 2007 6:09 PM | Link to this
I was a close friend of Paula Webb. The other woman involved in the mix up. I am her boyfriends cousin he is like my brother. Not only did they bury the wrong person but they also lost Paula earlier that morning and had her transported to Mt. Healthy and back just to mix her up with someone else again for the second time in one day. That is just irresponsible and careless. Her loved ones are also grieving and find this absured and inconsiderent.
By adi
May 2, 2007 5:09 PM | Link to this
I agree that funerals are for the living. However, burial is a necessary closure for many people. After my dearly beloved uncle passed away several years ago, we discovered a few days after his burial that his body had been put in the wrong plot – one belonging to a stranger’s family. We didn’t realize it at the funeral because we were devastated by his sudden death and overwhelmed by the whirlwind of activities that led up to the ceremony. It was a mistake … a very sad one.
By Student
May 2, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this
They were going to “switch” the bodies without telling anyone. Wow.
By Angela
May 2, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this
Its sad that some people don’t take there job seriously. Its bad enough what these people had to go through with the death of there loved ones, but the county and/or funeral home didn’t want to to there job. I feel there should be a public apology from the people involved with this situation to the families. There is no excuse for what has happened. We should have respect the dead!
By concerned
May 2, 2007 1:54 PM | Link to this
I an understand the hurt the family feels, as I had an uncle that could not be viewed at the funeral, but some family members demanded to see him to make sure that it was indeed him!
It seems as though the funeral home would have checked, or even prepared the remains in some sort of way, and realized that there was a problem. It makes one thing how many times do funeral directors charge familes for items/services/options are that are not performed or completed, but the family pays for.
By Big Ed
May 2, 2007 1:13 PM | Link to this
It’s unfortunate. One wonders why the funeral director didn’t notice that the body wasn’t burned and was less than half the age of the correct one.
By bob
May 2, 2007 1:02 PM | Link to this
How could a family member state that finding out about the mix-up is worse than hearing that the mother passed away. I think her emotions are slightly over-reacting.
By Bonnie
May 2, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this
I feel sad for this family , not only did they think they said goodbye to their parent, I can understand how they feel sad , anger, upset as would most everyone who has had this happen to them. I very much disagree with nyc,the dead do know look back in history most every being placed something with their loved ones from the native americans to the egyptians , who really will ever know if the dead dont need something on the other side if there is a other side it hasnt been proven either way.
By nyc
May 2, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this
I’m sure it would be very traumatizing but nothing will change the fact that their Mother is dead and that’s where their emotions are coming. The body in the casket doesn’t KNOW that you are saying goodbye or leaving something for them. Funerals are for the living, the dead don’t care!
By upset also
May 2, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
Kinda the same thing happened in our household, when we buried my grandmother, they buried her not in the correct location, but on top of another grave, which was on top of another casket….. We just happened to go back to the cematary a couple days later and noticed the ground had not been disturbed on the correct location, but noticed a grave a couple sites down, was fresh, and found out there is where they buried her, on top of another grave. It is a very sad thing to happen!