Relative of Hull Funeral Home victim says his ‘world has changed forever’

A grieving relative who received what he thought was his grandmother’s ashes – only to be told her body was one of 35 found at Hull Funeral Home – said his “whole world was turned upside down”.

Liam (not his real name) told Sky News reporter Charlotte Leeming that when his beloved grandmother died in November last year, he used a traditional independent funeral director.

The family held a funeral at the church in Legacy and organized a cremation service with the funeral director.

Liam then handed over what he believed to be his grandmother’s ashes to other family members.

But his world was turned upside down when he heard 35 bodies had been found at Legacy Funeral Home and he called Humberside Police’s dedicated phone shortly afterwards.

The next day, a liaison officer visits Liam and tells him that a body has been found at the funeral home and they suspect it to be his grandmother.

police Suspecting it could be his grandmother, they found a hospital bracelet attached to the body.

He provided DNA, photos and other identifying information to police to help solve the case.

What follows is a confusing and tortuous series of events for Liam.

On Friday, he received a call from police saying they could confirm that one of the 35 bodies was that of his grandmother.

Shortly after, his liaison officer called to say the previous call must have been a prank call because the DNA results had not yet been returned.

Then, just hours later, the liaison officer contacted him again to say that the first call was in fact from the police, but that the DNA results had indeed not come back.

He said the situation left him feeling “helpless”.

“I don’t think I can believe what the police are saying,” he told Sky News.

“The way we are being treated now is absolutely appalling.

“There was no support network. No one checked in on us every day.

“For them to call us and tell us they don’t have any information doesn’t make us feel any better. It doesn’t support us in any way. It just makes us feel more isolated,” he said.

He added that the situation left him “frustrated and frustrated” with police.

“I was very close to my grandmother. She raised me as a child and I took care of her for the last few years of her life. She lived with me.

“So she’s more of a mother figure than a grandmother figure.

“Someone said ‘yes your grandma has been identified’ and it wasn’t just a mistake – I believe she may have been identified – but they withheld that information and that didn’t bring me closure, nothing. support.

“That doesn’t reassure me because we don’t know.”

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Liam added: “Every minute feels like hours. Every hour feels like months and years.

“It’s shocking and horrific not to know what they did to our loved ones.

“There is absolutely nothing we can do but sit back and wait for what the police have to say.”

Humberside Police said last week they believed all family members of the 35 people found at the funeral home had been contacted.

More than 1,500 calls have been made to a dedicated phone line for people using traditional independent funeral homes.

Two people – a 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman – Arrested Alleged obstruction of lawful and dignified burial, fraud by misrepresentation and fraud by abuse of position.

they have been released on bail investigation continue.

Earlier this month, three branches of the funeral home were raided, two in Hull and one in Beverley. Concerns about “storage and management processes associated with caring for the deceased”.

Sky News understands that the formal identification process takes some time, so police are not expected to confirm formal identification with the family until a later date.

Humberside Police Deputy Chief Constable Dave Marshall said: “Specially trained family liaison officers have met with the families involved in this report to provide them with reassurance that we will continue to do everything we can to support them. , as our intention is to provide compassionate services to those affected.

“The families affected by this investigation are our utmost concern and priority and in this case we are working hard to ensure we provide as much support as possible by keeping families updated on the investigation and its progress. But a mistake was made as far as we were concerned.

“This is a large and complex criminal investigation and the volume of contacts we have received from the public and those affected by this incident has been significant.

“I would like to ensure that any information relating to identification can only be provided through specially trained Family Liaison Officers, who are always face-to-face to provide the care and assistance they need to families waiting for answers.”