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Family Buries Wrong Woman After Inglewood Mortuary Mix-Up

INGLEWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A local family buried the wrong woman after an Inglewood mortuary mixed up their loved one with someone else.

Family and friends of 82-year-old Darlene Davidson thought they attended her funeral and burial March 1.

Days later, however, Davidson's family said they found out the beloved mother never left Simpson's Family Mortuary after another family reported that their relative wasn't in their casket.

"I was already torn apart and then…this. It's unbelievable," said Davidson's son, Eric Haynes.

Haynes said the family actually told mortuary officials that something was wrong during the viewing.

"The mortician, the guy that dresses them, he convinced us that was her," he said.

Reginald Black, a spokesman for the mortuary, apologized for the mistake.

"In this case, there was an error made and we are diligently working with both families to be in resolve," he said.

Davidson will now be buried Wednesday.

Her family and their attorney were at the mortuary Monday to make sure the correct body was in the casket.

The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau is investigating the incident.

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