Family says local crematorium gave them wrong remains

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A local family is part of a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging a local crematorium botched cremations.

Tiffany Daniels and Donnell Rhodes say they realized the problem shortly after their stillborn daughter’s funeral in 2013.

“We knew one thing for sure, there was not supposed to be any teeth in there, not for an infant baby. She was still in my womb,” Daniels said.

The parents say the urn contained adult-sized teeth with dental work.

“Not knowing where your child is on top of that is worse than any parent could imagine feeling ever,” Daniels said.

The couple hired attorney C.K. Hoffler and they filed an individual lawsuit and a proposed class action lawsuit against Airport Mortuary Shipping Service in Hapeville, Georgia and the Crematorium @ P.C.S. in Austell, Georgia. The lawsuit alleges, in part, that the crematorium was negligent in handling the corpse and provided false and fraudulent documentation concerning the cremation of the infant.

“You should be entitled to put your love one to rest,” Hoffler told Channel 2’s Rachel Stockman.

Hoffler contends she filed the action as a class action because of sworn testimony she received from former workers about the Crematorium’s business practices. Hoffler says she has testimony from five or six current and former employees as well as the previous owner.

“This is absolutely unacceptable, inexcusable and devastating,” Hoffler said.

"The Crematorium handled the cremation of Baby Madison Lynn Rhodes in a professional and dignified manner...the cremains of Baby Madison Lynn Rhodes were then returned to the Willie A. Watkins funeral home on September 10, 2013.  The urn and the cremains shown in those photographs are not the urn or the cremains that were provided by The Crematorium," said Richard Brown, an attorney for the Crematorium. (See full statement here)

Willie A. Watkins handled the family’s funeral, and denies knowing anything about mishandled remains. He said the first he heard about it was when the family filed a lawsuit.

“Yes it brings doubt in my mind (about other cremations),” Watkins said.

“I want justice for my daughter and anyone who has gone through this,” Daniels said.

WSBTV