A grieving widow may be facing jail time because she is unable to afford her husband’s cremation.
Betty Starnes lost her veteran husband Kenneth Starnes on October 6. Shortly after he died, she asked Southern Cremations and Funerals at Cheatham Hill in Marietta, Georgia, to pick up his body.
Her husband’s body has been store at the funeral home ever since, awaiting cremation.
Grieving widow, Betty Starnes (pictured), lost her veteran husband Kenneth Starnes on October 6. Shortly after he died, she asked Southern Cremations and Funerals at Cheatham Hill in Marietta, Georgia, to pick up his body
Kenneth Starnes’ (pictured in 2010) body has been stored at the funeral home ever since, awaiting cremation. But this week the owner of the funeral home threatened to press charges for abandonment of a body if Starnes doesn’t pay the $1,000 bill by Friday
Starnes told WSB TV that she made it clear when her husband’s body was brought to the funeral home, that she couldn’t pay for it up front.
But this week the owner of the funeral home threatened to press charges for abandonment of a body if Starnes doesn’t pay the $1,000 bill by Friday.
‘It’s just unconscionable when you’ve lost somebody you love,’ Starnes told the station.
‘He said this is a felony offense. I said, “I’m not a felon. I want my husband’s body, but you won’t let me have it. You won’t work with me,”‘ Starnes said.
Starnes said she ‘went to pieces’ when she found out about the possible charges. ‘I said I’m not going to jail and I’m not a crook.’
But the funeral home owner said the story Starnes is telling is not quite right.
The owner told WSB TV that they received a call to pick up the man’s body around 2.13pm on October 6.
‘We brought him into our care later that day. Mrs. Starnes visited our funeral home on October 7 and was apprised of all the costs associated with the services she requested, and signed a contract for those services at that time,’ the statement read.
The funeral home said they have been ‘actively working’ with Starnes for several days to address the situation. Kenneth Starnes is pictured with the family’s dog in 2010
A few days after Starnes’ story made headlines, Southern Cremations (pictured) offered to perform their services for free. But Starnes said she is going to use SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society after the owner there offered to cremate her husband’s body for free
According to the owner, Starnes understood the payment would be required to cremation and ‘indicated that payment would be rendered by October 9’.
The funeral home said they have been ‘actively working’ with Starnes for several days to address the situation.
‘Mrs Starnes has been notified of all her options, including alternative resources that she could contact if she needed assistance in paying for the services selected.
But Starnes told WSB-TV that she was confused when she signed the contract and would be willing to set up a payment plan.
However, the funeral home’s owner reportedly said he wants the payment in full before cremation.
‘I said we don’t have cash up front. You people knew that coming in,’ Starnes said.
A few days after Starnes’ story made headlines, Southern Cremations offered to perform their services for free.
But Starnes said she is going to use SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society after the owner there offered to cremate her husband’s body for free.