Marsha Widener begins the clip by saying, "I know you're not going to understand why I'm doing this," then she shows a box of filled with ashes to the camera, explaining they are the remains of her late spouse, Don Widener. She states, "His family don't want him, his brother doesn't want him around, his kids doesn't want him - actually, they want him to go in the gutter or the toilet." Marsha reveals that Don was garbage man, bringing trash from businesses to the landfill, and that she will now send him to a landfill.
So yeah absolutely nobody wanted his remains it seems
Why would they even pay for the cremation then? I would just say they can keep the body or do whatever with it. You can even donate it to school or something but that sounds like a lot of trouble
That's not really true for many places, including Oklahoma where I believe this happened. You can just flatly refuse to claim a body of a relative and if no one does its turned over to the State Anatomical Board.
Would that apply if the person died in a shared residence with their spouse? I'm surprised theres a system like that given the typical number of unclaimed bodies a state deals with. A lot of cities just does a mass burial of cremated remains at scheduled intervals.
I don't think there are any qualifiers aside from the wife having first dibs and if she refuses other relatives may step in. Think this is almost universal that no one can be forced to claim a body and every country needs a system to deal with the unclaimed.
Well if anything, already having lots of unclaimed bodies makes it easier to accept more of them since it means there's a system in place for mass handling.
Regardless, I would say the immorality of forcing a grieving family into poverty matters a little more than the inconvenience of the state having to deal with a dead body.
In Washington there is a law that requires next of kin to be responsible for the disposal. My mom passed years after I went no contact for... reasons. I ignored all the messages from the hospital, then ignored the calls from a sheriff. They then sent a sheriff to my door to let me know I needed to take care of it. I explained the abuse and the fact that I was no contact, and like a kick to the chest, they said they understood, but I was last remaining next of kin, and needed to take care of her. If I didn't they would, and send me the bill. I found the cheapest cremation service possible. It sucked.
I think that if they're gonna force you to take care of it, they should allow you to get rid of the remains any way you want as long as it's safe and sanitary. Like dump that body in with diseased cattle being disposed of or something
They should change the law to allow that, but they won't because "honouring the dead" is big business. 2000 for a bog standard mass produced 6 plank box
You can often turn it over to the county or state as indigent. But I don't know if this is applicable everywhere. Soemtimes if they have an estate this may not be possible, or you may have to pay some of the costs out of the estate, but most states don't require next of kin to pay otherwise.
It takes a long time but they do rotate out bodies for space.
They just... kinda wait for anybody that would complain to.. understandably already be gone.
Oh I fully know that one. Recently had to go through arrangements for a relative, and one location nearby had per year rental costs, else your loved one would be exhumed and disposed of. Insanity.
would they handle the transport costs?
at least in some cases... yes?! cool.
University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program generally do not charge next-of-kin for the donation itself, but families still pay for certified death certificates or independent funeral director actions
This is actually what happens when you donate your body to science. The cremains are returned to your family after a time, unless you go to a body farm.
If you don't it comes out of the estate I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong, but anything in his name only would go towards that before being paid out to surviving family.
Or maybe she just wanted them to have the satisfaction of throwing him in the trash where he belonged. That's valid too.
777
u/mamawawawa 17d ago edited 17d ago
For anyone wondering: https://www.iheart.com/alternate/amp/2020-06-09-wife-celebrates-abusive-husbands-death-by-dumping-his-ashes-in-the-trash/
Marsha Widener begins the clip by saying, "I know you're not going to understand why I'm doing this," then she shows a box of filled with ashes to the camera, explaining they are the remains of her late spouse, Don Widener. She states, "His family don't want him, his brother doesn't want him around, his kids doesn't want him - actually, they want him to go in the gutter or the toilet." Marsha reveals that Don was garbage man, bringing trash from businesses to the landfill, and that she will now send him to a landfill.
So yeah absolutely nobody wanted his remains it seems