Houston Chronicle

Body stolen from casket in San Antonio

Some believe ideologica­l foes of woman’s cremation vs. burial could have spurred theft

- By Mark D. Wilson SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Tim Mott was already dealing with the unbearable tragedy of his 25-year-old daughter’s death, but now he’s confronted by the stunning discovery that her body was stolen from a San Antonio funeral home last week.

“We just want our daughter’s remains returned so we can have some closure to our grief,” Mott said.

San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Javier Salazar said officers were dispatched to Mission Park Funeral Chapel North, 3401 Cherry Ridge Drive, on Aug. 16 after workers found a casket that had been holding the remains of Julie Mott empty.

Mott died Aug. 8 from cystic fibrosis, said Mission Park Funeral Chapels owner Robert Tips.

Tips, a personal friend of the Mott family, said funeral services for the San Antonio woman were held Aug. 15, which would have marked her 26th birthday.

“In my 22 years in law enforcemen­t, this is the first time I have ever heard of this happening.” San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Javier Salazar

After services concluded, the casket holding her body was moved into a hallway where it awaited transfer for cremation, he said.

The next day, however, workers found the casket empty, he said, adding that the funeral home is offering $20,000 for informatio­n leading to those responsibl­e.

Tips said authoritie­s believe the individual responsibl­e for the theft may have an ideologica­l opposition to cremation as opposed to traditiona­l burial.

“We feel very strongly that there’s a difference of opinion there,” he said.

Salazar said investigat­ors believe the theft happened sometime between the conclusion of Mott’s funeral at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., when staff locked up the facility.

“In my 22 years in law enforcemen­t, this is the first time I have ever heard of this happening,” Salazar said.

While Salazar said police are looking into several leads, officers have not yet confirmed whether they have identified a suspect.

“It would be speculatio­n to even assume that it was just one person. It could have been two or several,” he said. “Until we get that crucial piece of evidence leading us to just the right person or people, we just won’t know.”

Salazar said the case is being investigat­ed as abuse of a corpse, a Class A misdemeano­r, but more charges could follow as authoritie­s continue to gather more informatio­n.

Police are asking anyone with informatio­n on the whereabout­s of Mott’s remains to call investigat­ors at 210-225-TIPS.

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