A look at burial processes after remains go missing in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Kamaron Hickman and Fatima Nettles are still searching for answers as to why Hillcrest Memorial Park can’t find the casket or remains of their six-month-old daughter, Jada.

The couple no longer has ties to Augusta and wanted to exhume Jada’s body to have her closer to them. When the groundskeeper at Hillcrest went to dig, they did not find anything in the ground.

The case is gaining attention across the state and is raising questions about standard protocols for burials.

The process of burying your loved one is overwhelming, to say the least.

Walker Posey with Posey Funeral Directors has been in the funeral business for more than two decades. His funeral home did not perform Jada Hickman’s service, but he knows a thing or two about the process.

“You get one chance to do this right, you don’t get a second opportunity,” said Posey. “As a profession, there’s definitely a chain of custody to take care of someone’s loved one, whether it’s from the time they pass away in a hospital or their home to the time that they come into our care to the time it takes to the cemetery.”

The process itself is almost like a paper trail.

“There should be checks and balances, both at the funeral home and at the cemetery side,” said Posey.

It’s a step-by-step process that starts immediately when your loved one passes.

“We take the loved one into our care, and then we meet with the family to discuss arrangements and funeral plans,” said Posey.

Once that step is completed, Posey says that is when the cemetery gets involved.

“They go to the cemetery and most cemeteries require that the family identifies the location of the plot, even if they purchase it before they walk out. They say ‘Yes, this is correct’, they sign an authorization for the grave to be open and then deal with all the cemetery paperwork at that time,” he said.

Posey says, for him, transparency is key.

“Many times whether it’s burial or cremation, just knowing the process itself, what’s going to happen in the timeline can give families a lot of peace of mind,” he said. “And for us, peace of mind is critical to those who are serving.”

We reached out to Hillcrest Memorial and Dignity Memorial, which owns Hillcrest Memorial Park.

“We respect the privacy of the families we are honored to serve and, as a result, we are unable to discuss this matter with the media. However, we can say that we are working closely with the family,” they said in a statement.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.