A Maryland family that purchased a prop casket for their annual Halloween party reacted in shock when they discovered the personal items of a deceased woman inside it. According to FOX 5, the casket was part of other items the Wozniaks had intended to use for their Halloween decorations.
Brooke Wozniak also told the news outlet that the casket was bought on Facebook Marketplace. And upon the discovery of the items, she said she decided to try and locate the deceased woman’s family because she wouldn’t want such a thing to befall her mother. Wozniak ended up sharing a video on TikTok in an attempt to locate the woman’s family and also return her items. That paid off.
“Everyone was in shock. And we didn’t really know how to feel about it,” said Wozniak. “My first reaction was, we’ve got to find the family. We gotta find whoever the next of kin is or whoever knows her.”
The items Wozniak showed in the viral video included a death certificate for a certain Edith Crews. Other items included her social security number, a bracelet from George Washington University, her photo, and an envelope that supposedly contained the deceased woman’s ashes.
Crews’ granddaughter eventually saw the viral video and brought it to her mother’s attention. In an interview with FOX 5, Sabrina Jones said she reacted with shock when she became aware of the discovery. She said her mother, Edith Crews Meriedy, succumbed to COVID-19 in January. Jones added that her mother’s condition before her death made it impossible for them to be by her side. She said the discovery of her deceased mother’s items “doesn’t ease the pain of her being gone.”
“I’m the only girl. I’m the one who took her to George Washington University and left her there,” she said. “I mean I’m grateful that [the Wozniak family] kept it, and we do have it back. I thank God for that.”
Edith’s daughter said that the casket her deceased grandmother was put in was rented through Freeman Funeral Services. She also said her grandmother was cremated. Jones also said the owner took responsibility for the retrieved documents and expressed sympathy. She said the owner asked them to give her time to look into the incident.
