A South Carolina woman is suing a funeral home after allegedly discovering that an unidentified person had been placed in her mother’s casket during a scheduled viewing, turning an already difficult moment into a deeply distressing experience for the family.
Iris Gordon, of Horry County, filed a lawsuit against Ocean View Funeral Home and Cremation Services over the incident involving her 87-year-old mother, Iris Evans, who died on January 14, 2026.
According to the lawsuit, Gordon had arranged her mother’s funeral through the Conway-area funeral home and paid $13,820.55 for the services. The complaint alleges that a serious mistake was discovered when Gordon and family members arrived for the viewing on January 30.
Family Discovers the Wrong Person in the Casket
Gordon had provided the funeral home with specific clothing and accessories for her mother, including a black-and-gold African outfit, a scarf, a hat, a wig and undergarments.
The family expected to see Evans dressed in those items during the viewing at Ocean View Funeral Home’s Conway Chapel on Grainer Road.
However, when Gordon and her relatives arrived at approximately 3 p.m., they allegedly discovered that the person inside the casket was not Evans. Instead, an unidentified individual was wearing the clothing Gordon had supplied for her mother.
The discovery reportedly left Gordon distressed in front of family members who had gathered to pay their final respects.
According to the complaint, Gordon alerted funeral home staff, and one of the owners, Atu Williams, was contacted. During a subsequent phone conversation, Williams allegedly acknowledged that the funeral home had made a mistake.
The identity of the person initially placed in the casket has not been publicly established in the available reports.
Viewing Rescheduled for Later That Day
Following the discovery, the viewing was rescheduled for 5 p.m. on January 30.
The lawsuit states that when the family returned, Evans was in the casket. The incident had already disrupted the arrangements and added further distress to a day intended to help relatives say goodbye to their loved one.
The funeral proceeded the following day, January 31, at True Worship United Pentecostal Church on Main Street in Conway.
For Gordon, the lawsuit alleges, the experience went beyond a simple mistake involving funeral arrangements. She claims the incident affected her ability to remember her mother’s final viewing as a peaceful and meaningful farewell.
Daughter Seeks Refund and Additional Damages
Gordon alleges that the incident caused significant emotional and psychological harm, including mental anguish, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. She also claims she has struggled to sleep soundly since the incident.
Her lawsuit seeks the $13,820.55 she paid for the funeral services, along with additional damages related to the alleged harm she suffered.
The case raises questions about the handling and identification of remains during funeral preparations, particularly when families rely on funeral service providers to carry out sensitive arrangements with care.
Ocean View Funeral Home and Cremation Services had not publicly responded to the allegations in the reports available as of October 10, 2026. The allegations remain claims made in a lawsuit, and the case’s outcome has not been established.
For Gordon and her family, the legal action seeks compensation for an experience they say profoundly affected their opportunity to say goodbye to Evans.
