Tonight, a family is heartbroken after an unforgivable mixup at the morgue culminated in their father's burial as a John Doe in an unmarked grave. The Cante's say their father died alone, likely of alcohol poisoning.
Still, hospital protocol dictated that his body be tested for COVID, and according to Cante's son Lewis, that's where all their troubles began - ending in mass confusion.
Lewis Cante, Son of the deceased
"We took him to the hospital and as soon as we got there they did a Covid-19 test and then they took him to the morgue and so the next day the 31st we reached again so we could claim the body, we were behind them and then the doctor came and told us that they took that test because the quick swab was negative so they needed another one but that they take that test in Belize so they would wait until that test comes and they would give the body if it's COVID or not COVID so then we used to go every day to claim for the body and see what happened, we were behind them."
"On the fourth of January we went to, well I received a call from the doctor that said the result has come, the result has come and it's negative so you can come and find the body and bring whatever you have to bring buy your coffin and all that stuff so we started making everything like we were happy that we would give my dad one grave so when we reached there we bought everything, we took the coffin there and the guy in charge of the morgue called me and told me to show me the body."
"When I got there as soon as I got there I realized that that was not my dad it was not my dad's body so then I asked him, is there another body here? and he told me that's the only body we have here."
"At the end of the day, at the end of everything they got to a conclusion that they mixed up the body usually police what they do the body that nobody reclaims it nobody goes and finds the body so what they do is that they make an autopsy and then they get responsibility to give them a grave."
"So they asked for a John Doe and what they got was the body of my father, not that person so in the morgue they mixed the body so they gave me the bad news for the family for me that my dad, they already buried my dad, I didn't know what to think on that time they took me to the place where they buried my dad and that the story."
"We have spent a lot, right now making money is not that easy and we don't have money to move and get a lawyer and stuff like that. The only thing is I just want to tell people to learn about this situation like we have to. I wanted to put this so that people could open their eyes or do something like this not to happen because this is a very painful situation like everybody wants to bury their beloved persons and give them a rest in peace, a grave but we didn't have that opportunity."
The family says they want compensation for the emotional and financial hardship they've had to endure. They also say that even though their father is buried in another village, distance won't stop them from visiting his grave.
