Hmmmm, now THIS is a new one.  :o

Son calls stunned parents after his funeral
Thursday, December 25, 2003 Posted: 1:38 PM EST (1838 GMT)


OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (AP) -- Charles Wyckoff and his wife had returned home after a funeral for their son when the phone rang.

"Hey, Dad," Kevin Wyckoff said.

"Huh. Well, damn boy. We just had your funeral today," his father said Monday, according to a transcript of the call provided Wednesday by the Oklahoma Corrections Department.

"Yeah, I know. I heard," Kevin Wyckoff said.

"Well, what the hell is going on?" his father asked.

Prison officials had misidentified an inmate who had hanged himself behind bars as Wyckoff. The inmate, who was buried Monday in Wyckoff's place, is believed to be Steven L. Howe, the Corrections Department said.

Wyckoff, 23, is serving a five-year sentence for offenses including kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The Corrections Department had a transcript of Wyckoff's conversation with his parents because it routinely monitors inmate calls.

The younger Wyckoff said prison officials had put Howe's name on a cell where he had been moved, and left his name on the cell where Howe committed suicide.

Corrections Department spokesman Jerry Massie said investigators were trying to determine whether the two inmates switched cells without permission or if staff made the switch without filing a report.

Both had entered the prison, the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center, on December 5 and are similar in appearance, officials said.

Sequoyah County District Attorney Richard Gray said that if Howe's family agrees, his body could be exhumed next week.

During the phone call, Wyckoff also spoke to his mother.

"Kevin, I can not believe this," said his mother, whose name was not released. Calls to the Wyckoff home in Sallisaw on Wednesday were not answered.

"We buried you today, boy," she said.

"I understand that. It's not my fault, though," he responded.

"OK. Somebody's in deep trouble," his mother said.

The family will not receive any immediate reimbursement for the funeral expense and may have to file a claim, Massie said. "We can't just write them a check."

They darn well better write the family a check if it's the prison's screwup.  

I wonder...technicly, since hes considered dead, couldnt he be released from prison, since they cant house a dead man?

Weird!!  I wonder if the parents had to identify the body or whether they questioned his appearance, I mean being a parent myself, I think I would know if it was my child or not...I mean he wasn't burned or mutilated, you would think that they would have known.

Contrary to what they show on television, officials rarely allow parents/relatives to identify the dead in person.  Especially if there are "physical" effects that may be disturbing (loss of tissue, damage, burns, discolouration, etc..  :P).  Usually when they release the body to the funeral home, it's then that they can view the deceased if they wish.  Identification is usually done by DNA and body marks (tattoos, jewellry, etc) and dental records.

Got that from a an RCMP officer friend.

Still, that's a pretty bizarre story to say the least!  I especially liked the "dead" guys comment: "..it wasn't my fault" ..sheesh, must be a habit saying that.  :)

So,he wasn't really dead? Did he call from under the dirt? ??? ;D


Howard

No no, another inmate who looked like him killed himself and was buried, but then the real guy called his parents to say he wasn't dead after the funeral.  It's surreal.

Weird

Very bizarre!  :o

What shocks me is that they apparently never even verified identification through fingerprints.  Stupid.

He didn't even call to say he was dead. ;D



Howard