Nationwide — Kenneth Thomas, a 19-year-old Black teen from Texas, was tragically killed during a robbery on August 26 in Houston’s Fifth Ward. His grieving family, seeking comfort in a small memento, asked Oasis Funeral and Cremation in Aldine to save some of his hair before his cremation. The family’s request carried significant emotional weight, as some relatives, including Thomas’ twin, planned to weave his distinctive wicks into their own hair.“It was very heartbreaking because it was traumatic. How he died was uncalled for,” said Thomas’ cousin, Lakisha Johnson. The loss of Thomas left a deep void, and the hair was meant to be a cherished keepsake to help keep his memory alive. However, weeks later, when the family received a bag of hair, they immediately noticed it was not Thomas’. Familiar with his hairstyle, the realization was devastating.
“We don’t have it anymore,” Johnson expressed, emphasizing the emotional toll. “That was the only part of him that we decided to keep, to keep him alive. We don’t have it, and it hurts. It is not right at the end of the day.” The loss of this keepsake has amplified the family’s grief and raised concerns about how the situation was handled.
According to WLBT, Tanya Roberson, the funeral home owner, admitted the mistake and confirmed that the family had indeed received someone else’s hair. She acknowledged that Thomas’ hair couldn’t be found and believed it might have been misplaced during recent construction at the facility. “I take accountability for the issue that happened. I do. As much as you try to do everything perfect, sometimes things still slip between the cracks,” Roberson said.
The incident has left the family questioning even deeper matters, such as the authenticity of the ashes they received. “It makes us question everything, even his ashes,” Johnson noted. “Is this really him in this urn? We need to know that. Because if that’s not him in the urn, who is it?”
Roberson, while taking responsibility for the mix-up with the hair, reassured the family that there was no doubt about the identity of Thomas’ ashes. Despite her assurances, the emotional toll on the family remains significant as they navigate their loss and seek closure.