Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV published August 9, 2022: Family exhumes remains and finds Clinton Township cemetery had reburied debris, pieces of casket. A Metro Detroit family had to go digging for answers after they were told a Clinton Township cemetery mistreated their father’s gravesite.
Click On Detroit
written by Karen Drew, Anchor/Reporter and Kayla Clarke, Senior Web Producer
Monday August 8, 2022
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Michigan – A Metro Detroit family had to go digging for answers after they were told a Clinton Township cemetery mistreated their father’s gravesite.
They said the gravesite was disturbed and the cemetery gave them explanations that just didn’t make any sense. Then, secret photos were shared with the family.
To understand why Arthur Trottier’s family is doing this, you have to go back to February 2022. That’s when the family knew something was wrong. They visited his grave at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township and noticed unearthed ground where it shouldn’t have been.
“They told me that they were doing a burial next to my dad and that they noticed that my dad’s vault was compromised,” daughter Terry Jowett said. “‘But out of the goodness of my heart, we decided to replace your dad’s vault.’”
That story didn’t make sense to Terry Jowett.
The cemetery was unwilling to speak to Local 4 on camera. Instead, we received the following statement:
“The accusations made by a family about the treatment of their relative’s gravesite are not true. On July 26, when we performed a disinterment at the family’s request, we found exactly what we expected to find -- a casket that had been deteriorated by water over decades, which our crew then placed in a new vault after performing emergent maintenance.“Typically, we hold these details, the unpleasant reality of the cemetery business, very close because they can elicit very difficult emotions for people, but it is unreasonable to think a casket that has been underground enduring natural processes for decades will come out looking like the day it was buried.“We take pride in our responsibility to provide a final resting place for families and strive to perform our jobs with the utmost dignity, reverence, and respect for those who have passed.”Michael Chilcote, General Manager/COO, Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association
The family got a judge to approve their request to go searching for answers. They wanted to know if their father’s casket and remains were treated with respect or if the photos were true.
Their fears were true. They said someone did just pile trash and chunks of concrete on their father’s remains.
“We were all hopeful that we wouldn’t see that when the vault was lifted, and there was a small glimmer that possibly dad was resting like they said he was, and peacefully,” the family’s attorney, Anthony Bologa, said. “But it’s unfortunate that the nightmare continues and it was just debris and pieces of casket that they reburied and tried to cover up.”
The family said they will be reburying their father and mother, this time in a crypt.
FOX5 Las Vegas published August 4, 2022: Driver transporting bodies to Las Vegas funeral homes posts videos on TikTok.
FOX5 Las Vegas
written by Lauren Martinez
Friday August 5, 2022
LAS VEGAS, Nevada - A mortuary transporter who removes and transports the deceased records and posts videos during the transport from several funeral homes and crematories throughout the Las Vegas valley.
26-year-old Kamal Daniel said he’s worked in the caregiving industry for the past five years as a Certified Nursing Assistant. He works at a hospice center where he said he’s gotten ‘used to’ seeing bodies.
“I don’t know why I’m like that but when I touch a body or pack up a body I’m super like blank. So I really don’t have nightmares, I can go home, sleep, wake up completely fine,” Daniel said.
The CNA was hired as a removal technician for Las Vegas Mortuary Transport. A third-party service owned by couple Jeff and Penny Marsell.
Once Daniel went on solo calls he started creating videos. He said he didn’t sign anything during his hiring process that told him otherwise.
“When I first got hired with the company there was a policy form there, but it didn’t say anything about no phones, no social media, no posting,” Daniel said.
The TikTok user under the name @goodquotesthatmatter said his following of just over 100 grew to the thousands overnight once he posted the first video with a decedent. Today he has over 30,000 followers.
Daniel said TikTok had taken his first video down, but he appealed it. Shortly after the appeal, Daniel said a TikTok moderator messaged him that his content was good to go.
The platform isn’t removing his videos, if anything Daniel said he’s getting paid for them.
“My first live video I had almost 12,000 views-viewers, and I probably made $2,200,” Daniel said.
Once an employee at one of the funeral homes came across Daniel’s videos, management pushed for his termination.
Jeff Marsell, co-owner of Las Vegas Mortuary Transport said Daniel was with the company from June 20th to July 10th. Marsell said they do a background check and driver’s license checks. He issued this statement in part:
“This behavior was immoral and reprehensible, and it does not reflect the core principles of Las Vegas Mortuary Transport or any of the Las Vegas Funeral Homes. Moving forward our Employment Contract will have updated detailed information on this issue. Training will include specific details about pictures-videos-and the internet.”
A local embalmer who wants to remain anonymous called his actions deplorable.
One of the funeral homes where he recorded released this statement to FOX5:
“This behavior is never permitted in any of our facilities out of respect for the privacy of the families we serve. We are currently reviewing all options for legal action.”
The Nevada State Funeral Board sent this response:
“Neither Kamal Daniel or Las Vegas Mortuary Transport are licensed with the Funeral Board, but the permitted funeral establishments are responsible for what happens in their locations and for transportation. There is nothing in the statute that specifically addresses taking photos or videos within the businesses, but it could potentially fall under unethical practices if a complaint were to be filed with our office. This individual may have opened the door for civil litigation against himself and these funeral establishments by giving such detail on the decedents, even though he doesn’t show any faces.”Nevada State Funeral Board
When asked if Daniel has plans to remove the videos he said he doesn’t mind either way.
“There’s probably an 80-90% chance I would process for the United States Navy, so most likely I would probably just erase the videos. And then just use that page to become a runway model once I come out of the Navy,” Daniel said.
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