Maine couple sues funeral home for mishandling infant’s body

SANFORD, Maine — A local couple has filed a lawsuit against Bibber Memorial Chapel for allegedly mishandling the remains of their late infant daughter and compounding their grief and trauma by inflicting emotional distress.

According to a complaint filed in York County Superior Court by their attorney earlier this week, Corrina and Raymond Korzeb, of Sanford, Maine, arrived at Bibber Memorial at Autumn Green in Alfred on Feb. 17, 2023, to attend a private viewing and say goodbye to their daughter, Emma, who had died unexpectedly six days earlier. The complaint says the couple, emotionally vulnerable from their loss, was shocked and horrified by what they saw.

Their daughter’s body was in a state of decomposition, “grotesque and unrecognizable.”

“Initially, Corrina did not believe the body was that of her daughter,” attorney Travis Brennan wrote in the complaint. “Corrina and Ray had to confirm that the body they were viewing was, in fact, the body of their daughter, Emma.”

The complaint includes graphic details of the child’s alleged state of decomposition.

Two messages left to representatives of Bibber Memorial Chapel seeking comment regarding the lawsuit were not returned Thursday.

Funeral home accused of negligence in lawsuit

Emma was six weeks old when she unexpectantly died, according to a GoFundMe page set up by a friend of the Korzebs to raise money for funeral expenses.

According to the lawsuit, the child’s body was brought to Bibber Memorial at Autumn Green on Feb. 13, 2023.

The couple entered a contract with Bibber for professional services, which included preparation, embalming, storage and cremation.

The private viewing on Feb. 17, 2023, had been intended as a chance for the Korzebs to see their daughter one last time. The couple had planned to hold a larger service at Curtis Lake Church in Sanford the next day.

The complaint states the Korzebs were forced to change their plans for an open-casket memorial service.

“This was a painful decision for them because they had told their wider circle of friends and family that it would be an open-casket service so that everyone could see Emma one final time,” the complaint reads.

The complaint names Bibber Memorial Chapel, based on Summer Street in Kennebunk, as the defendant. The funeral home owns the Alfred site, as well as other sites in Wells and Berwick. The complaint alleges the agents and employees of Bibber Memorial Chapel were not “sufficiently qualified, experienced, trained, supervised and/or resourced to provide competent handling, preparation, embalming, storage, and cremation of bodies.”

The complaint alleges the Bibber employees knew that the infant girl’s body showed significant signs of decomposition, and knew that her surviving parents were emotionally vulnerable, and proceeded with the private viewing anyway.

As a result, the Korzebs are accusing Bibber Memorial Chapel of negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and breach of contract, according to the complaint.

Couple seeks damages for ‘mental anguish and suffering’

The complaint states that the Korzebs have experienced “severe mental anguish and suffering” and are seeking punitive damages.

The complaint describes Bibber Memorial Chapel’s conduct as “deliberate” and “so outrageous” toward the Korzebs that “malice . . . can be implied.”

Brennan spoke critically of the funeral home.

“It is reprehensible that these parents were caused additional, unnecessary pain and suffering while already coping with the unimaginable grief of losing their infant daughter,” Brennan said in a statement to the press. “This is particularly alarming because Maine’s population is aging and the demand for these services will only continue to increase. The mortuary industry needs to ensure it adheres to the highest standards when taking on this solemn responsibility.”

Bibber Memorial Chapel has yet to respond to the lawsuit in court filings.