Wrong Coffin: Ohio Family Shocked To Find the Wrong Woman in Their Loved One's Coffin

A family in Ohio was shocked to find a stranger's body in their loved one's coffin. In an interview with ABC affiliate ABC 6, the family of Sonya White found an unknown woman in the coffin when they opened their loved one's casket for a final goodbye on Monday afternoon.

White, 51, passed away on January 6 and was handled by the Marlan Gary Funeral Homes. When the family arrived to view the body on Monday afternoon, the family was shocked to find a different body in the casket. The body had her clothes, undergarment, Buckeye earrings, and wig.

"We were very devastated. We was all crying," Lisa Harden, White's cousin, said.

The family wanted closure, but they doubt they will have the closure they need anytime soon. "It was traumatic. No one should have to go through that with their loved one," Harden added. 

Read Also: COVID-19 Positive Mom Pumps Green Breastmilk, Insists It's Still Safe and Best for Her Baby

Picked out with love for their last moment

The family told Insider they had specific requests to the funeral home, including putting her in a red casket as she was a big fan of Ohio State Buckeyes. Kishia Givens, White's sister, said they picked everything for her sister with love.

"You expect your loved ones when they pass to be handled with care. And to be that careless with someone's family member is inexcusable," Givens added.

According to White's daughter, Kourtney White, the body mix-up made their "awful experience" worst as her mom's death was sudden. The funeral home promised to pay the family for the mix-up, but the family plans to file a formal complaint at the State of Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.

Body mixed up of two older men in the wrong coffin in Sydney

A similar incident happened in Sydney, Australia, in February last year. Two families were devastated when they discovered that the bodies of two older men were placed in the wrong caskets. Despina Nicolopoulos was bidding her final goodbye when they discovered the mix-up. Later, she and her family learned that her husband's body was buried two hours earlier.

The funeral home, Euro Funeral Services, said that the mix-up happened during their routine procedure. Usually, their crew would check the ID on the body before placing the coffin lid with the nameplate on the coffin. "This is where the crew did not follow that procedure through." Although Bill, the son, understood that the mix-up was not deliberate, the family admitted that the incident was devastating for the family.

The funeral service was profoundly apologetic and offered a refund to the two families over the ordeal.

"I wish I could turn it back for the families. I can't. I understand the trauma it's caused," Director Spiro Haralambous of the Euro Funeral Services said.

Her husband's body was then exhumed. This also confused the family as they wondered how the body was exhumed without permission or consent. Nonetheless, despite the coffin being mixed up, the family finally bid their goodbye at a second funeral two days later.

Related Article: Teenage Sexting: Parenting Experts Reveal What Parents Should Do