Questions remain after Detroit funeral home mix-up, vice president of operations dies
Questions remain following the death of the vice president of a Detroit funeral home, which came days after a family reported their loved one may have been mistakenly cremated. The circumstances surrounding the death of Joseph Hutchinson Jr. from the Hutchinson Funeral Home have not been connected to a recent mix-up.
James Henry Jr., president of C.W. Morris–J.W. Henry Funeral Home in Highland Park, said he knew Hutchison through the funeral industry and is sending his condolences to the Hutchison family.
"It's unfortunate. It's sad because we did lose a colleague. A lot of us lost a friend. The Hutchison family lost a son, father, a brother," Henry said.
But questions remain about how the reported mix-up at the Hutchinson Funeral Home could have happened and what safeguards are supposed to be in place to prevent mistakes involving someone's remains.
Dr. Mark Evely, who teaches Mortuary Science at Wayne State University, said a mix-up involving a person's remains is a serious breach of professional conduct and a worst-case scenario in the funeral industry. Evely said funeral homes must verify a deceased person's identity throughout the process. That can include identification tags or bands containing information such as the person's name or date of birth.
"We also have to check ID, verify ID and document that ID before final disposition takes place, either burial or cremation," Evely said.
Families can also identify their loved one themselves or provide a photograph to help the funeral home with identification.
Funeral homes in Michigan are licensed and regulated by the state through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) with oversight from the Board of Examiners in Mortuary Science. It's unclear whether the state is investigating Hutchison Funeral Home over the recent mishap.
Evely said violations can lead to action by the state board.
"That person [licensee] would have to answer to the state board, and the funeral home itself would have to answer to the state board," he said.
The Hutchison family has asked the public and members of the media to respect their privacy as they grieve Joseph Hutchison's death. The family also expressed gratitude for the compassion and support they have received from the community during this difficult time.
