JONESBORO, Ark. — An Arkansas attorney has filed a lawsuit against a funeral home, claiming his client was cremated against the family’s wishes and prevented the man from being “raptured following the Second Coming.”
The lawsuit, filed by Brandon Lacy of Jonesboro on March 8, states that Harold D. Lee, of Pauline, South Carolina, wanted to be buried next to his parents at a Quitman, Arkansas, cemetery after his death in November 2019, KAIT-TV reported.
According to the lawsuit, Lee’s body was transferred to the Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Little Rock, and his family made arrangements to buy the casket and a burial plot, the television station reported.
The suit stated that Lee, because of his religious beliefs, did not want to be cremated because he believed “his body would be raptured following the Second Coming.” However, the funeral home notified the family on Dec. 10, 2019, that they had “accidentally cremated the body,” KAIT reported.
Lacy’s six-page brief stated that the funeral home’s actions caused Lee’s family “extreme mental and emotional distress” after failing to abide by his demands.
The funeral home waived the cost of the funeral, apologized for its mistake and refunded Lee’s family the $5,000 it was paid in burial insurance, according to KAIT.
Lee’s family is seeking financial restitution and wants to recover damages.
An attorney for the funeral home, Michael Harrison, admitted his clients cremated Lee but denied all other allegations by his family, KAIT reported.