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Cash Falls from a Hovering Helicopter at Ohio Funeral
In a video that you simply must watch to believe, attendees paying their respects to a man in Ohio got more than they bargained for when they attended his funeral.
Showing tremendous preplanning insight, Darrell Thomas, a Detroit car wash owner who recently died, arranged for a dramatic show of generosity at his funeral by arranging for a helicopter to fly over the funeral home, showering mourners below with rose petals and cash.
The police apparently were caught completely off guard by the loads of cash falling from the sky, WKRC/CNN reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly investigating the incident.
Grimes Funeral Chapels in Texas Striving to Serve its Devastated Community
Grimes Funeral Chapels in Kerrville Texas has found itself at the epicenter of the flooding crisis that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people in central Texas.
As first responders continue to find bodies of flood victims, they are being sent to the funeral home as authorities seek to identify them, KENS 5 reported.
Authorities are working with the funeral home to identify the next of kin of the deceased once their identity has been established, the TV station reported.
Johnny Grimes, the funeral home’s owner, told KENS 5 that he is getting support from the state and doing his best to serve the region.
“It’s just a tragedy to our whole community,” Grimes said. “With the help of our community and family and friends, employees and staff, and the state resources that are here… we are going as fast as we can, and strong, and with love and compassion and care for every deceased that comes through.”
A GoFundMe effort that is raising money for the funerals of flood victims has raised more than $11,000.
At least 104 people have died as a result of the catastrophic flooding in central Texas. The majority of these deaths occurred in Kerr County, with 28 children among the victims, according to CNN.
Texas Funeral Service Commission Gets Sued
The East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Funeral Service Commission, challenging an order that barred the mosque from conducting funeral services earlier this year.
The suit, filed in a Travis County district court, argues that the commission’s March cease-and-desist letter is an unlawful overreach. EPIC contends the directive violates both state law and the mosque’s First Amendment right to religious freedom.
“The Commission’s actions have forced EPIC to halt sacred funeral practices, chilled its religious expression, and discouraged funeral homes from bringing remains to EPIC for services — essentially preventing Muslim families from observing key aspects of their faith during life’s most critical moments,” the complaint states.
Since receiving the letter, EPIC says 11 members of its congregation have died without receiving traditional funeral rites at the mosque. Islamic custom calls for burial as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours.
The state commission claims EPIC was functioning as a funeral home without the proper license, according to the letter, and has referred the matter to the Collin County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
EPIC’s legal team asserts the mosque has never operated as a licensed funeral establishment. Instead, they say, it collaborates with licensed funeral homes and local cemeteries to carry out funerals in accordance with Islamic law.
Although EPIC previously held a funeral home license, it expired in 2022. A now-removed section of its website had noted a partnership with Rahma Funeral Home, which is run by a licensed funeral director and has been in operation since 2004, according to state records.
Connecticut Strips Disgraced Funeral Home Owner of License
A Connecticut funeral home owner accused of stealing more than $80,000 from clients has officially lost his license to operate, WTNH News 8 reported.
The Connecticut Board of Examiners of Embalmers & Funeral Directors voted during a virtual meeting to revoke Philip Pietras’ funeral service license, which it had suspended in May amid allegations that he had misused funds intended for prepaid funeral arrangements.
“Since Mr. Pietras’ arrest on April 6 for alleged misuse of prepaid funeral monies, our members have expressed deep concern for the affected families and emphasized that this situation is highly unusual,” the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association said in a statement released ahead of the board’s vote.
Pietras, 51, owns Pietras Funeral Home in Coventry. He surrendered to authorities in April and was charged with first-degree larceny. He pleaded not guilty in court this June.
The case began when an employee from a company flagged a suspicious payment involving a client’s funeral fund. Investigators later discovered that funds intended for prearranged services—deposited by several clients—had allegedly been diverted by Pietras for personal use.
Authorities say approximately $81,300 was missing from eight client accounts.
Former Colorado Funeral Home Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison
A Colorado funeral home operator who deceived grieving families by giving them urns filled with dry concrete instead of their loved ones’ cremated remains has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison — the maximum punishment allowed, federal prosecutors announced Friday, June 27.
Jon M. Hallford, 45, of Colorado Springs, owned and ran Return to Nature Funeral Home with his wife, Carie Hallford. The business had locations in Colorado Springs and Penrose. Over a span of four years, Hallford failed to cremate or bury at least 190 deceased individuals, despite taking more than $130,000 from families for services he never rendered, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
Rather than handling the remains respectfully, Hallford allowed bodies to decompose inside his facility. He reportedly sealed off windows and doors to mask the odor, falsified death certificates, and claimed the bodies had been properly buried or cremated. In some cases, families received urns filled with dry cement mix; in others, the wrong body was delivered for burial — mistakes Hallford actively concealed from next of kin.
“Jon Hallford’s criminal fraud was a vehicle to exploit grieving families so he could give himself a lavish life with luxury cars and expensive vacations,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly. “His actions were not just fraudulent, but deeply inhumane.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Hallford was ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution. Authorities also revealed he conspired with his wife to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting fake applications for pandemic relief funds.
Between March 2020 and March 2022, the couple obtained $882,300 through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program by providing false information, investigators said.
Officials noted that Hallford continued to operate the funeral home under false pretenses while using the fraudulently obtained funds to bankroll a lavish lifestyle.
Better Late Than Never: Cremated Remains Finally Arrive by Mail
Loved ones mourning the loss of an Omaha woman were dealt a second blow earlier this year when her cremated remains vanished in the mail.
Now, more than five months later, they’ve finally received a long-awaited and unexpected gift: closure.
Ron Westphalen has spent months navigating a painful emotional journey since losing Mary Woodrow, a woman he considered the love of his later life, First Alert 6 reported.
The package containing Mary’s ashes was mailed from Omaha in January but never reached its destination. For months, there was no tracking activity — until June 16.
Mary’s daughter, Stephani Leguin, reached out to a Louisiana congresswoman and a local news station for help – in addition to sending inquiries to the U.S. Postal Service.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service issued a statement: “The United States Postal Service sincerely apologizes for the delay in the delivery of Ms. Woodrow’s cremated remains. We are pleased that this important package has reached its destination.”
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