Woman's 'unrecognisable' body discovered in funeral home three years after she was meant to have been cremated

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The “unrecognisable” body of a woman has been discovered at a South Carolina funeral home, three years after she was meant to have been cremated.

A complaint about the excessive amount of time the body had been stored for was filed by a former employee, sparking an investigation by the coroner’s office.

Spartanburg County Coroner, Rusty Clevenger, said they had since identified the woman as 63-year-old Mary Alice Pitts Moore, who died of natural causes in March 2015.

Mr Clevenger said the family had been informed on Friday and the identities of those responsible have been passed to police, though there was no information on possible charges.

“They are understandably upset at the revelation since her final disposition was to be cremated in 2015,” Mr Clevenger said in a news release.

“I will be exploring legal means to have her families wishes carried out for final rest. I have been contacted by SLED officials and the State Attorney General about this case and I will be providing any info my office may have.”

Ms Pitts Moore’s family have met with representatives of the funeral home in Greenwood.

The complaint filed to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation led to investigators from the Department and coroner’s office discovering the body being stored at the funeral home.

It is unclear whether the family were given what they believed to be Ms Pitts Moore's remains following her death or whether a ceremony of any kind was held.