In a tragic turn of events, a mother named Aurora Hartley from Oklahoma is taking legal action against a funeral home and a cremation service after a shocking discovery during a painful time.
This ordeal began when Aurora went into pre-term labor on November 27, 2023, at just 27 weeks.
Sadly, her baby, Hadley, was stillborn, leaving Aurora and her family in deep grief.
The Disturbing Discovery
In her sorrow, Aurora entrusted her child’s remains to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Oklahoma City for an autopsy.
Hadley’s remains were then sent to Alpha and Omega Mortuary for cremation.
However, when Aurora went to retrieve her baby’s ashes and hospital blanket at Brown’s Funeral Service in Coalgate, she was met with a shocking revelation.
According to her attorneys, the remains of her child were still wrapped in the blanket.
Attorney John Zelbst described the moment: “As they’re taking the birthing blanket and going to wash it and preserve it, they open it to find the remains of the child.
You can only imagine the shock and disgust.”
Seeking Answers
Devastated, Aurora, her boyfriend, and family returned to Brown’s Funeral Service to understand how such a horrifying mistake could occur.
“We have an urn with ashes that no one knows who they belong to,” Zelbst stated.
“It’s not our client’s baby. So what family is missing their loved one?”
This situation raises alarming questions about the proper handling of remains in the funeral industry.
The funeral home claimed to the local police that the ashes actually belonged to Hartley’s cremated placenta rather than her child.
Zelbst argued that this explanation was unacceptable, stating, “It has no characteristics of a cremation.
So that starts the cover-up.”
Pursuing Justice
With a determination to prevent other families from experiencing similar horrors, Hartley’s legal team is pursuing action against both the mortuary and funeral home.
“We are going to let the citizens of this community decide what justice really should be,” Zelbst emphasized.
Meanwhile, Hartley’s other attorney, Dan Markoff, is urging the state board to intervene and potentially shut down one or both of the funeral service providers involved.
Background on the Mortuary
Adding to the concerns surrounding Alpha and Omega Mortuary Services, the U.S. Department of Labor conducted an investigation in April for violations of federal employment laws.
The investigation revealed that the mortuary, operated by Stillwell Ltd., Inc., had denied employees overtime pay for hours worked beyond the standard 40-hour week and failed to maintain proper records as required by law.
Crystal Moeai, a former employee, recounted her experience, stating, “I was doing 60 to 80-hour weeks, no days off.
A lot of times the longest shift I did was 27 hours.”
Another ex-employee, Mark Monterroso, mentioned that staff would sometimes work straight for days, catching brief naps as they worked through the night.
Ultimately, the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor recovered $231,390 in back wages, along with an equal amount in damages for the 66 affected employees.
Healing from Trauma
While it remains unclear whether the long hours played a role in the tragic mix-up with Hartley’s baby, she has expressed the need for mental health support after this traumatic experience.
“I had always wanted to be a mother,” she shared, highlighting the profound emotional impact of her loss and the circumstances surrounding it.
As Aurora Hartley navigates this difficult journey, many are left wondering what will unfold next in this heartbreaking legal battle.