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Utah Family Steals Body from Funeral Home, Buries It In Secret

Philip Caulfield in New York Daily News Discussion »

ROOSEVELT, UTAH – The family of a man who didn't want him to be cremated stole his body from a funeral home and buried it in a traditional ceremony, the funeral home officials and family members said.

A feud between family members in Utah over what to do with a dead man's body took an outrageous turn this week when one side of the clan stole the corpse from a funeral home and buried it in secret, according to local reports.

Teddy Serawop, a 32 year old member of the Ute Indian Tribe, died of an enlarged heart in Salt Lake City on Nov. 5.

His mother, Fonda Ross, insisted that he wanted to be cremated, local ABC News reported.

But his father, who, unlike Ross, is a tribe member, said his son wanted to be buried in a traditional ceremony.

Things came to a head on Tuesday night when Ute tribal officials and some of Serawop's family members on his father's side visited the Hullinger Mortuary in Roosevelt and asked for the body. Read More »

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posted November 16, 2012 2:10 pm est