Detroit Family Claims Funeral Home Cremated Wrong Body After Viewing Mix-Up

A Detroit family has accused Hutchinson Funeral Home of a devastating error after they claim the funeral home presented the body of an unknown woman at a viewing, dressed in their late mother's belongings, and subsequently cremated her before her scheduled funeral.

The family of 61-year-old Kimberly Moore discovered the alleged mix-up on Friday, the day before Moore was set to be laid to rest. According to reports, when Moore's daughter, Bianca Robinson, arrived at the funeral home to prepare her mother for the viewing, a staff member asked if the body presented was her mother.

"This is not my momma sir," Robinson recalled telling the worker. Another relative corroborated the claim, stating that the woman in the casket was wearing their mother's dress and wig, but was not Moore.

According to Robinson, a mortuary employee allegedly admitted to the mistake, saying, "We must’ve cremated her." The employee reportedly explained that there were two women who arrived at the funeral home around the same time as Moore, and the toe tag on Moore's body may have become wet and fallen off, leading to the mix-up.

"How do you make a mistake like that?" Robinson questioned.

Hutchinson Funeral Home has issued a statement acknowledging the family's concerns. "We are heartbroken and deeply sorry for what Ms. Moore’s family has experienced. We are aware of the family’s concerns and we will continue to communicate with them honestly and respectfully," the funeral home stated. "We have launched our own internal review to determine exactly what happened and we will deal with it accordingly."

The family expressed devastation, noting that Moore was supposed to be cremated after the funeral on Saturday, allowing loved ones a final chance to see her. "We don’t have a viewing. What do we have? We don’t even have her ashes! Somebody please tell us something," Robinson said.