Funeral home denies body mix-up, dresses stranger’s corpse in suit

A California family were horrified to find an unknown man in their loved one’s suit and casket when they came to say goodbye at the funeral home.

A California family is accusing a Compton funeral home of putting the wrong man in their loved one’s casket — and even dressing the stranger’s corpse up in his suit.

But when loved ones confronted the funeral home, a worker tried to convince them that they were ones mistaken, according to a lawsuit.

Amentha Hunt said her family was traumatised when they arrived at the Harrison-Ross Mortuary to say goodbye to her uncle Otis Adkinson, 80, only to be greeted with another man wearing his clothes.

Otis Adkinson’s family was horrified to find another man in his suit and casket when they came to say goodbye at the Harrison-Ross Mortuary. Picture: Local 12 WKRC

“It was a guy laying there in my uncle’s suit, but it wasn’t my uncle,” Hunt told local KCAL News. “It shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t make arrangements there to see the wrong body.”

When the family asked a mortuary worker for help, Hunt said the employee insisted that the stranger in the casket was her uncle.

It wasn’t until she insisted there was an error and provided a picture of her uncle to the funeral home that the employee admitted to the mistake, Hunt told the TV station.

Hunt said it took three hours for the mortuary to fix the mix-up so her uncle could finally be laid to rest, but the image of the stranger in Adkinson’s suit is still burned in her mind.

“It’s hurt. I still think about it. That’s something that’s never going to go away, to view the wrong corpse,” she lamented. “I still can see that guy.”

Niece Amentha Hunt said she’s still traumatised by seeing a stranger in her uncle’s suit and having to prove a mistake was made. Picture: Local 12 WKRC

The funeral home denies the allegations that they mixed up Adkinson’s body with another man. Picture: Local 12 WKRC

Elvis Tran, an lawyer representing Hunt, called the mortuary’s actions outrageous, and showed that the business needs to change the way it operates.

“For them to come in and see the wrong corpse and for the mortuary to deny that it’s the wrong corpse and then need proof that it’s in fact the right person,” Tran told the local outlet.

“We think it’s just a basic standard of care that they messed up on and that they really need to improve their ways, so they don’t do this to another family,” he added.

Harrison-Ross Mortuary has denied the allegations against them and said they are preparing to file a cease-and-desist letter against her.

Adkinson, who died on February 28, 2025, was a Memphis native who worked for Southern California’s Schaefer Ambulance Service as an EMT for 29 years before being promoted to supervisor, according to his obituary.

His family described him as a “good ole country boy” who enjoyed fishing, barbecuing, dancing, and watching the Lakers play.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Funeral home denies body mix-up, dresses stranger’s corpse in suit