Nationwide — The family of Rhonda Hollis is taking legal action after a Detroit-area funeral home mistakenly cremated her body weeks before the scheduled service. The family says they weren’t informed until more than a week after the cremation.
“The family could say their goodbyes and we’ll be able to cope from there, but it didn’t happen like that,” Saijae told WLBT.
On December 12th, Kathy Hollis, Rhonda’s mother, received a call from the funeral home admitting the mistake. The funeral home later confirmed that Rhonda’s body, scheduled for post-service cremation, was mistakenly cremated earlier. They apologized, stating this was an isolated incident in their nearly 70 years of service.
The family is devastated. Her daughter said, “I’m supposed to be at a viewing looking at my mom and I can’t.”
Rhonda’s mother described the emotional toll, saying, “I was just mad, upset. I was crying.”
The family is now seeking answers, hiring attorney Ivan Land to file a lawsuit against the funeral home.
“You cannot make a mistake when you’re dealing with someone’s loved one that’s passed away,” Land said.
The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and emotional distress.
“I’m hoping that my family get closure. I’m hoping that we can figure out what happened to my mom in that timespan of her being at the funeral home,” Saijae said. “I just want answers.”