Body was cremated at funeral home — but it was the wrong body, SC coroner says
A body was recently sent to a funeral home by a South Carolina coroner’s office and cremated, officials said. But it was a mistake, as the wrong body was sent for cremation, according to the Aiken County Coroner’s Office.
On Monday, the body was misidentified by a staff member at the coroner’s office and inadvertently released to the funeral home, Coroner Darryl Ables said in a news release. The mistake was discovered Tuesday, but the cremation had already happened, according to the release.
The body “should not have been cremated,” Ables said in the release.
“Releasing a body is a multi-step process, and the number of steps depends upon how many agencies are involved in the final disposition,” Ables said. “The Aiken County Coroner’s Office protocol includes an intake/release log which is to be verified and signed by the agency assuming custody of the body and by the coroner’s staff member releasing the body.”
When Ables learned about what happened he reported the incident to the Aiken County Attorney’s Office and to the South Carolina Coroners’ Association, according to the release.
Ables also reported the situation to the South Carolina Funeral Directors’ Association and to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation because a funeral home and a crematory were also involved in the incident, the coroner’s office said.
“This incident is very unfortunate, and we are deeply remorseful to the family of the decedent,” Ables said. “Accurate identification and verification at intake and release are critical to the process for all agencies involved, and we accept full accountability for our portion of the incident.”
Information about any punishment or legal action facing the coroner’s office as well as the staff member was not available.
“I will conduct a thorough review of this incident to determine exactly how the error occurred and to ensure that it never happens again,” Ables said.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 8:16 AM with the headline "Body was cremated at funeral home — but it was the wrong body, SC coroner says."
