SC - man's corpse was apparently cut to fit coffin

Dark Knight

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ALLENDALE, S.C. – James Hines was a giant — a 6-foot-7, 300-pound preacher and funk musician so big that after he died in 2004, a macabre rumor began circulating in this small town that the undertaker had to cut off his legs to fit him in the coffin.


This week, after years of whispers, Hines' body was exhumed, and the gruesome story appeared to be all too true.


The coroner's office said only that it had found "undesirable evidence," and a criminal investigation has been opened. But Hines' widow said investigators told her that his legs had been cut off between the ankle and calf, and his feet had been placed inside the casket.


Much more at link:



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_re_us/too_tall_corpse
 
This is a terrible story! I just can't imagine how the family must feel.
 
That's horrible!! I can't even imagine how upset his family must be :( My thoughts and prayers go out to them.
 
As long as all of him was in the casket, I don't see what difference it makes. At least he wasn't all folded up in there.
 
There is several reasons why this is criminally wrong.
He and his wife went to pick out a coffin, picked and paid for one that they were told was long and large enough for him. The accusation is that they put him in a smaller cheaper casket of the same style. http://www.wjbf.com/jbf/news/crime/article/local_funeral_home_accused_of_mutilating_a_corpse/12307/

Mutilating a human corpse is never ok. Cremation or donating parts for research ALWAYS requires release/authorization forms to be completed by the family. They did not sign any such forms in this case.

Many religions believe that you will be resurrected from the grave, and have strong feelings against cremation for this reason. Not sure what their religious beliefs are though, each to their own.

Bottom line is that they did not get the service from the mortuary that they paid for, and what did happen to him was not authorized, and someone should be held criminally responsible.
 
http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/local/42299797.html
Ann Hines remembers the day she went to Cave Funeral Services with her husband, James, to pick out his casket. The 6'7" minister, who was once a ‘rock and roller’ into R & B, entrusted the funeral home with his final arrangements after he found out he was dying of cancer.
"We were told [the casket] was the perfect size because we saw the measurements on it and we said this one looks like it would be right for him and the guy said, 'yes, with his stature this is perfect for him,' " said James Hines widow, Ann Hines.
The family soon began hearing rumors that James’ legs were cut off so he could fit in a smaller casket and the funeral home could save money.
"Even the day after the funeral, my brother told me that casket was too short for Jay,” said Ann Hines. “I said, ‘well that's the one we picked out,’ and he said, ‘no.’ "
 
July 2009:

A South Carolina judge Tuesday revoked the license of a funeral home where a worker cut the legs off a 6-foot-7 (2 meter) tall body so it would fit in a casket...

The state Funeral Board ordered the home shut down last month after Cave admitted his father, Charles Cave, used an electric saw to sever James Hines' legs at the calf because he wouldn't fit in the casket...

Hines, 60, was an albino black man who had several modest hits in the 1970s as a soul and funk guitarist with J. Hines and the Boys. He became a preacher later in life.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/its-curtains-for-funeral-home-that-cut-corpses-legs/
 
Chopping off a dead man's legs with an electric saw; it's what Charlie Cave admits to doing and he tells News 12 he has no regrets.

"I have nothing to hide. " Charlie Cave answering few questions about why he cut off James Hines legs with an electric saw, an act the funeral home admitted to the State Board of Funeral Service Monday.

Caves, "Nothing but the truth."
Gardner, " Do you have any regrets about anything?"
Caves "Ain't worried about a thing."
Gardner, "Any thing to say to the Hines family?"
(Caves Shrugs)

http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/46841817.html?device=phone&c=y
 
[video=youtube;DOke0bgy2t4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOke0bgy2t4[/video]

They were good.
 

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