(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Coroner in Sangamon County in Central Illinois is working to sort out a mess after a funeral home allegedly gave dozens of families the wrong ashes.
The mix up, involving Family Care Cremations and the Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville led to nearly 100 families receiving the wrong ashes, according to Coroner Jim Allmon.
“This isn’t something they would ever have imagined would be possible, I just at this point don’t have answers for them," he said.
Rebecca Zillion’s family is among those impacted.
She told CBS 3 in Champaign that what she thought were her father’s ashes were divided among family members. She wore hers around her neck.
“Being able to wear the necklace and have him, it was like almost like I could talk to him at any point,” Zillion said. “Like I did. I talked to the necklace all the time.”
Her family is among a handful that now have the right cremains. Zillion started a support group for those who are still in limbo.
She said that some of the families spread the wrong ashes.
The state has revoked the license of the funeral home director, Albert Heinz. An investigation by multiple agencies is on-going.
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