GRAHAM, N.C. -- Police and the North Carolina Board of Funeral Services are investigating why a Carrboro woman's body was left outside in a hearse for about a week. The body of 37-year-old Linda Walton was discovered last week at a Graham funeral home when police were called to investigate a foul odor.
David Lawson, the owner of Lawson Mortuary, says Carrboro police called him on Aug. 11 to pick up a woman found dead in an apartment.
"She's been dead for approximately six days, and it's rough," he said.
A death certificate says Walton died of kidney disease. Lawson says her body was so badly decomposed, he couldn't embalm it.
" did a chemical treatment, all that I could do," he said.
Lawson says he then asked a crematory he works with to store the body in its freezer but the body was returned after a day and a half. Since he doesnt have a cooler, he put the body in the hearse out back.
I was expecting to hear from the police department at any time to say we have a next of kin, he said.
Authorities couldn't locate next of kin and Lawson was advised to get authorization for cremation from the Orange County Department of Social Services but he says they told him theyd exhausted their account for indigent disposal.
He said he didn't want payment but the red tape took a while. Someone mowing nearby complained to police about the odor this last Friday and they helped get the cremation done that day. It had been a week.
"Legally, I couldn't do anything," he said.
Families who've known Lawson for years say they'll continue to do business with him but Lawson says his reputation's been tarnished.
"I'm waiting to ask someone what they would have done. No one has offered to give me an answer as to what they would have done," he said.
The Orange County DSS issued a statement saying that state law requires a person to contact the state Commission of Anatomy to remove an unclaimed body, adding that it did everything in its authority to assist with the "unfortunate incident."
A spokesman for the Board of Funeral Services says the body should have been secured inside and refrigerated until it could have been cremated. The group's disciplinary committee meets next week and will likely review the matter.
Lawson could be written a letter of reprimand or even have his license suspended.
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