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Fraud ruled out in coffin swap

Written by DeadGirl
Monday, 12 July 2004
July 13, 2004 Police have found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by a Blenheim funeral company accused of deception by swapping the casket an elderly man was to be cremated in. Investigations by both police and the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand were launched into the actions of Cloudy Bay Funeral Services owner and funeral director David Buckley, after the funeral of the late Ronald Smith, of Blenheim, in April. Mr Smith's family complained that after leaving his funeral, the casket containing Mr Smith's body was changed to a cheaper model before it arrived at a crematorium, without the knowledge or approval of the family. Mr Buckley said he transferred the body into a new coffin after the original was damaged slipping off a trolley after the funeral, and that the complaint arose from a genuine accident. Detective Dean Schroder, of Blenheim CIB, said after considering all aspects of the case, including examining the business records of Cloudy Bay Funeral Services and questioning the suppliers of the caskets the business used, police had been unable to find any evidence of fraud. However, in a letter to the Smith family police said it was apparent Mr Buckley had made an error of judgment during his handling of the funeral. Detective Sergeant John Hamilton said the error was in not informing the family of the change of coffin. Police suggested to the Smith family that an internal tribunal hearing into the performance and conduct of Mr Buckley by the funeral directors association was a more appropriate forum to deal with their concerns. The police finding has disappointed the Smith family. They still have concerns about the way police handled the investigation and say there are still unanswered questions. Sharyn Smith, Ronald Smith's daughter-in-law, said Mr Schroder did not interview her or her husband about their complaint, although he had two brief conversations with her on the phone. Mrs Smith said her family was also upset because they had no idea Mr Smith's original coffin had been cremated, under police supervision in the Nelson district, until they read a written response from Mr Buckley. Mr Hamilton said he was satisfied police carried out a thorough investigation which included examining the coffin and the scene where Mr Buckley said it was dropped. Physical evidence, such as marks on the floor, was consistent with Mr Buckley's explanation, he said. Cloudy Bay Funeral Services' membership of the funeral directors association is suspended pending the release of the association's findings. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3577882&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

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Taphophilia?

taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)

ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"

DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries