A family in California is alleging that the Compton Funeral Home mistakenly placed the wrong body in a loved one’s casket, putting a stranger in the suit that belonged to their relative.
Despite their protests, the lawsuit claims the funeral home attempted to convince them they were mistaken.
Amentha Hunt recounted arriving at Harrison Ross’ morgue to say her goodbyes to her Uncle Otis Adkinson, who was 80. Instead of seeing her uncle, she found another man dressed in his clothing.
“It was the man lying in my uncle’s suit, but it wasn’t my uncle,” Hunt told local KCAL News. “That shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t come there to see the wrong body.”
As the family began to mourn at the funeral home, they were alarmed to discover a different man in Adkinson’s attire.
When they sought help from a funeral home employee, Hunt stated that the worker initially claimed the unfamiliar body belonged to her uncle. However, after she provided a photo to clarify, the employee conceded the mistake.
Hunt mentioned that it took three hours to resolve the error, but the image of the stranger remains vivid in her memory. “It hurts. I’m still thinking about it. It’s something that never disappears to see the wrong corpse,” she expressed. “I can still see the guy.”
Elvis Tran, the family’s attorney, criticized the funeral home’s handling of the situation, suggesting that improvements are needed in their operations.
“They have to come in and see the wrong corpse, deny it is the wrong corpse, and then prove who it actually is,” he said. “What they ruined was the basic standards of care, and I think they really need to improve their way of doing things, so they won’t make this into another family’s tragedy.”
The Harrison Ross Funeral Home has denied the allegations and stated they plan to present a letter of suspension and assumption regarding the case.
Otis Adkinson, who passed away on February 28, 2025, hailed from Memphis and worked for Schaefer Ambulance in Southern California for nearly three decades, eventually becoming a supervisor. His family described him as a “good country boy” with a passion for fishing, barbecuing, dancing, and watching the Lakers play.
